Women in Business

I N F O the magazine for anglo-french business french chamber of commerce in great britain

may / june 2013 www.ccfgb.co.uk

women in business Carolyn McCall on women and work

Baroness BlaCkstone on Franco-British co-operation ‘A difficult job for a woman’

Hélène Darroze talks about being a top chef & mother

e! lif g n ti por a s

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Š photo credits: MVB, VINCI and subsidiaries photo libraries, Andras Nemeth, Clarence Michel.

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Arnaud Vaissié President, French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain, and Chairman & CEO, International SOS

editorial

T

his issue of INFO focuses on women in business.

The business case for increasing the number of women not only in senior management roles but also throughout organisations has been clearly documented.

McKinsey & Company’s Women Matter studies, published every year since 2007, have established the link between gender diversity in the top management positions of a company and its performance, and show that companies with the highest share of women significantly outperform companies with no women: by 41% in terms of return on equity and by 56% in terms of operating results.* This is partly attributed to the way women exercise leadership, with the complementarity and diversity that it brings, but it also has much to do with having a pool of the very best minds, whether women’s or men’s, to draw upon. A majority of companies take the issue extremely seriously and devote considerable resources to redressing the gender imbalance – several of the articles in the Focus section of this issue demonstrate some of the initiatives that have been undertaken by our member companies. But progress is slow, and while the UK has opted for a soft approach, setting an objective of achieving 25% female representation on corporate boards by 2015, France has taken a more decisive stance by legislating quotas. In this issue the two different approaches are compared and numerous interviews with women in business provide insights into the real issues, barriers and challenges that they have encountered in their own careers.

Britain has recently paused to remember one particular woman, one of the most influential leaders of her time and the country’s only female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, who passed away on 8 April. Strong in her convictions and decisive in her policies, the ‘Iron Lady’ was both revered and reviled, but there is no doubt that she completely transformed Britain’s economic and political landscape, and her reforms created the powerhouse that is the UK financial sector.

Recent activities at the Chamber include the Business Club Cocktail, which was enjoyed immensely by all those who came, despite the weather throwing into disarray the travel plans of the Locate Jersey delegation, who were due to make a presentation on Jersey as a business location. We also hosted a very successful Saint Emilion Wine Master Class at Harrod’s Wine Shop and the annual Member to Member Cocktail and Exhibition, which were attended by a wide cross-section of Chamber members. Sessions of the various Forums and Clubs have continued to have presentations and roundtable discussions of the highest calibre – the reports at the back of the magazine give a flavour of the issues under discussion.

As the days get longer and Spring finally puts in an appearance, there is much to look forward to in the Chamber’s calendar of events, and we hope you will join us for many of them. I * McKinsey & Company (2010). Women Matter 2010. Women at the top of corporations: Making it happen

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Contents issue 206 / May - June 2013

11 55

24

Carolyn McCall on women and work

Bilateral

Franco-British Council

12 Estelle Brachlianoff

News in the City

15 An embattled Budget for Britain 16 City Profile: Elisabeth Markart

News

18 Saint-Gobain opens inspirational new innovation centre

19 Total resumes production in the Elgin/ Franklin area of the North Sea

20 British Airways orders 18 A350-1000

aircraft from Airbus Asendia acquires Pitney Bowes in the UK

21 VINCI Construction UK awarded £8.4m Royal College of Art development

23 International SOS announces strategic

partnership with London’s Air Ambulance

24 Relais & Châteaux Grand Chefs create culinary theatre in London

76

Getting acquainted with the ‘King of wines’

Relais & Châteaux Grand Chefs create culinary theatre in London

56

A word with Hélène Darroze

Spotlight on SMEs and Startups

9 Baroness Blackstone, new chair of the

5 minutes with...

‘Yes to Europe’ conference: Europe and public opinion

30 Briefs 33 Profiles

Success Story 36 Delahaye Moving

Focus

38 Women in Business 39 Women in Business timeline 40 The absence of women on boards – a

‘wicked’ problem: comparisons between France and the UK

43 The 30% Club: chairmen for change 44 Balanced boardrooms are only one side of the coin

45 Current hot spots for women in business 46 It’s time to think, act and report on inclusion

47 Between the glass ceiling and the sticky floor: subtle barriers

48 Gender diversity is an integral part of modernity

26 French Chamber members among Top 50

49 The power of sponsorship in business 50 The world needs science and science needs

27 Hello, goodbye...

28 Schools News

51 Supporting female entrepreneurs 52 The men behind great women

Employers for Women 2013

Managing Director: Florence Gomez Editor-in-Chief: Keri Fuller Communications Co-ordinator: Hannah Medioni Graphic Designer: Prima Hevawitharane Advertising & Sales: Lorraine Germaix Publications Assistant: Melonie Gault Subscription: INFO is published every 2 months Printed by: Headley Brothers Ltd

women

Contributors: Ama Afrifa-Kyei, Christine Borgoltz Halff, Kresse Wressling, Louise Brett, Mark Bomer, Philippe Chalon, Eric Charriaux, Katy Gandon, Robin Jeffcott, Claudia Jonczyk-Sédès, Savita Kumra, Thibault Lavergne, Julia Massies, Myriam O’Carroll, Joanna Powis, Emmanuelle Ries, Monique Valcour Cover: © CCFGB

53 54 55 56 58

Success secrets of dual-career couples The Women’s Forum: an insider’s view Carolyn McCall on women and work A word with Hélène Darroze Women in business: performing the balancing act

60 Creating company cultures where women flourish

Culture

63 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 64 What’s on

69 Wine Press

News @ the Chamber

71 New members 72 Chamber Shorties 75 The show goes on...

76 Getting acquainted with the ‘King of wines’ 77 Connections and discoveries 78 Logistical and operational challenges 79 Corporate volunteering 80 Export trade with emerging markets: risks and trends

81 Building green 82 Forthcoming Forums & Clubs / Events 84 Forthcoming Patron Events Distribution: French Chamber members, FrancoBritish decision makers, Business Class lounges of Eurostar, Eurotunnel and Air France in London, Paris and Manchester Editorial and Publishing Office: French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain Lincoln House, 300 High Holborn London WC1V 7JH Tel: (020) 7092 6600; Fax: (020) 7092 6601 www.ccfgb.co.uk

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Patron Members of the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain

LOGO Nยบ dossier : 20110049E Date : 31/05/11 Validation DA/DC : Validation Client

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Baroness Blackstone, new chair of the Franco-British Council A Labour life peer in the House of Lords, Baroness Blackstone is a former Minister of State in Education and Employment & Culture, and was Vice Chancellor of Greenwich University and Master of Birkbeck College. She spoke to INFO about her new role and Franco-British co-operation

FBC has also been excellent at talent spotting! David Cameron, I was Opposition Spokeswoman Nick Clegg and David Miliband all on Foreign Affairs in the House of contributed to a New Generations Lords from 1992 to 1997, and I’ve had debate in 2004 before reaching high a longstanding interest in foreign office in government. We have also policy generally, but especially in attracted highly influential leaders our relationship with Europe. I’m from France including Jean-Pierre also a great Francophile and it’s Landau, Elisabeth Guigou and on an honour to lead an organisation the sporting side, Thierry Henry. At like the FBC which does so much our 40th Anniversary reception later to enhance bilateral relations. Our this year, Europe Minister David strength comes from the breadth of Lidington MP will give the keynote our network. And of course this is speech. It will be an opportunity an important time given the debate to address the current debate on Baroness Blackstone about the UK’s future role in Europe.

UK membership in Europe with an It will be an exciting challenge and I look forward to audience of business leaders and policy makers. adding to the foundation built by the FBC staff and my predecessor, Baroness Quin.

What are the most challenging areas of co-operation?

Some of the big common challenges relate to immigration As it marks its 40th anniversary this year, what have been the pressures, the future of the European economy and FBC’s achievements? how we reduce unemployment amongst young people.

The FBC has established itself as a soft but powerful Defence and Security are also important issues that cover influence in decision making in the UK and France. One of promoting peace and security globally, and particularly its main achievements is getting people talking! We have in Africa, where we were both former colonial powers. If devised a range of bilateral events bringing key people I were to pick something specific it would be terrorism together to debate common issues, and identify solutions in the Sahel region of Africa. We have economic interests which we hope will influence government policy. Defence in Nigeria, as does France in the Francophone areas of is a prime example where the two countries have strong Africa. The fact that we are working together at present is mutual interests and our Annual Defence Conference important; there are some major underlying issues about and dedicated website have played a part in taking these longer-term prevention of the spread of terrorism in poor interests forward. nomadic communities that we should share. Energy I‘ve always been opposed to people having a narrow and climate change are also long-term issues, and what and parochial view of events, policies and issues. I think we each do has an effect on the other. The CEO of EDF we should be outward looking and try to find out what Energy, Vincent de Rivaz, spoke at our recent Financial our nearest neighbour is doing. I am not pretending that Crisis seminar and this is the sort of co-operation that I the FBC can bring about a sudden change of direction; personally want to see. I want to link with organisations it is about chipping away and mutual understanding. For like the French Chamber of Commerce and host high example, we held a series of seminars on Diversity which level topical events for many more French companies brought together an eclectic mix of people from different working in the UK. The FBC’s raison d’être is to encourage multicultural backgrounds. The then prime minister, co-operation and extend bilateral networks. And my Gordon Brown, added his voice to the conference. The vision is to galvanise that further. I KF What convinced you to become Chair of the Franco-British Council (FBC)?

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Cercle d’outre-Manche calls for targeted immigration and diversity in the workplace London-based French think-tank Cercle d’outre-Manche has published a book about immigration and work in France that calls for a measured debate on the issues, and proposes practical policies to manage immigration in a way that would benefit the economy

I

n its latest book, Immigration et travail: quelques bonnes pratiques à intégrer (Studyrama Editions, March 2013), the Cercle d’outre-Manche wishes for a less dogmatic and more constructive debate around immigration issues in France. It suggests new policy initiatives for a better understanding of France’s immigration influx through impact studies and a better targeting of integration policies for migrants.

The study also looks at how the concept of ethnic diversity should be encouraged in the workplace.

The fact that ageing countries need immigration is highlighted in the book. Recent EU reports suggest that the EU economy will need between 400,000 and 700,000 IT workers by 2015, and between 1 and 2 million healthcare workers by 2020. The Cercle

d’outre-Manche explains that France welcomes two times fewer skilled immigrants than the UK and three times fewer than Germany.

One of the key suggestions made by the French London-based think-tank is to set up an economic commission for immigration in France. Similar to the French Low Pay Commission, which was able to make headway on the minimum wage issue, an ad hoc structure could be set up to study the economic consequences of immigration in France.

This structure would be composed of representatives of trade unions, employers and qualified experts who would put forward measures that favour immigration management based on the needs of each sector of activity. These recommendations would then be followed by the government.

Such co-operation would yield a triple advantage: employers would get an immigration policy in line with what companies actually need. Trade unions would benefit from regulated labour immigration that would not contribute an excess supply of labour in sectors already suffering from unemployment.

Finally, the government could spur a more balanced debate on immigration.

Le Cercle d’outre-Manche advocates for a calm and meaningful debate on these issues, especially in times of economic crisis. I Philippe Chalon The executive summary of the book can be downloaded on: www.cercledoutremanche.com Created in 2004 the Cercle d’outre-Manche (CoM) is a group of French business leaders operating in the UK and France. The CoM is organised as a think tank and its purpose is to compare the social and economic conditions of the two countries. In particular, its members favour a benchmarking approach in order to depict the best practices in both France and the UK.

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‘Yes to Europe’ conference: Europe and public opinion Margaret Thatcher first used the words ‘Yes to Europe’ in her speech launching the Conservative campaign to keep Britain in Europe in 1975. In 2013 they have been adopted as the title of a cycle of conferences organised by the French Embassy in partnership with the European Commission Representation and the Financial Times, the first of which took place on 26 March

eorge Parker, Political Editor of the Financial Times, chaired a panel of speakers, comprising Lord Mandelson, Chairman of the Global Counsel, former European Trade Commissioner and British First Secretary of State, Lord Howard, former leader of the Conservative Party and cabinet member, Noëlle Lenoir, former French Europe Minister, and Peter Kellner, President of YouGov. All the panelists agreed that there was a crisis of public opinion with regard to the EU, but each had a different perspective on it. Pro-European Peter Mandelson admitted that the EU and the Eurozone could not thrive ‘unless its governance is able to secure greater public consent and legitimacy.’ He noted that ‘at the core of the current crisis is the extent to which politics and economics are out of sync. The EU has the currency but not the fiscal institutions and framework to manage it because this was too difficult to do at the time. The crisis has confronted this but to survive, the Eurozone will need to operate more as a single political entity, which has big implications for public opinion and politics.’

Noëlle Lenoir saw populism as the EU’s main challenge. She stressed the very hard lessons France had learned from its 2005 referendum and sounded a warning that referendums give opportunities for extremism to thrive. For something as complex as the EU, she said, a referendum is ‘a bold initiative but very reckless, and not the best way to ask a clear question’. Later in response to a question about why 70% of French people want Britain to leave the EU, she quoted Churchill who had said that ‘Britain is with Europe but not of it’. But she did admit that it has been the most influential country in the EU and has best modelled the European market.

Michael Howard said he wanted the EU to be successful and Britain to be part of it, but the EU had to change. ‘The EU is not working properly. It is bureaucratic, inflexible and cumbersome, and its one size fits all approach for countries as different as Finland to Cyprus is less than ideal for both and many others. We need a more flexible EU with room to breathe,’ he stated. ‘A better balance of

© Jacques Podmore - French Embassy UK

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The illustrious panel, L to R: Lord Howard, Noëlle Lenoir, George Parker, Lord Mandelson and Peter Kellner

competence between member states and the EU would be a prescription for more public support.’

The point was made that Britain had joined an economic community, but that everything was now being dominated by an EU that no-one in Britain had consented to be part of. Michael Howard agreed but Peter Mandelson rounded on him: ‘When you talk about flexibility you are actually talking about fluidity and flux. That is not what people see the point of the EU being.’ He accused Michael Howard of predicating his politics on the failure of the EU, ‘because it might actually succeed’.

Peter Kellner lamented the fact that what the EU does well was largely overlooked. ‘Pro-Europeans have not been candid enough about the failings and skeptics have ignored the positive,’ he said. Asked whether there had been a ‘spectacular failure on the part of EU leaders to talk about the longer term vision and convey the positive benefits of Europe’, Peter Kellner agreed, but said the question should be how to do it better rather than abolishing it. Peter Mandelson acknowledged the credibility gap – ‘European politicians have failed to understand the extent to which the public feels there is a lack of public control and accountability.’ He hoped for common ground discussions on a reform agenda between Britain and the EU. Michael Howard concluded by asserting – somewhat controversially by his own admission – that European leaders had hidden their longterm vision of Europe from the electorate because they knew it would not have support. I KF info - may / june - 11

5 m i n u te s w ith ...

Some of the barriers affect not just women but also minorities, so it is more about diversity than specifically gender.

Estelle Brachlianoff The new Chief Executive of Veolia Environmental Services UK, a Patron member of the Chamber, speaks about being a woman leader in a male-dominated industry, differences and similarities between the UK and France and the company’s massive investment in recycling and energy recovery

You took over as Chief Executive of Veolia Environmental Services UK last July, an appointment that necessitated a move from France. Have you found the UK to be different from your expectations?

Professionally speaking, I was presented with a great opportunity to run a company that is one of the jewels in the crown of Veolia. On a personal note, my family and I were very excited to start a new life in London.

My husband resigned his position in France to join me here, and I’ve sent my children to an English school so that they can become bilingual.

I was always interested in what was happening on the other side of the Channel. I thought the UK would be quite different from France and it is possibly even more different than I expected. But I’m glad it is – you don’t move to another country to see exactly what you are used to. It is really impressive to see how two countries that are so close geographically can be so far apart in many aspects, and yet very much alike in others. Managing British people has some really big dissimilarities to managing French people. But you should also ask my team – I think the change and the challenge goes both ways.

Waste management is a traditionally male-dominated industry, and you are Veolia’s first female chief executive.

Is there any difference between France and the UK in that respect?

Waste management is a male-dominated industry in both France and the UK. There is a perception that France is perhaps more advanced in bringing women into this ‘male-type business’, but in reality there is little difference between the two countries. Things are maybe more hidden in the UK – I don’t think people would admit as easily that there is an issue, whereas in France they would know there is one. There are more men in the waste industry, but it depends on whether you are talking about blue collar or white collar roles 12 - info - may / june

as there are different proportions in those.

As a woman, has it been difficult to get where you are?

Yes it has, and not only because I am a woman but also because it’s a desirable position. It is not getting into this industry that is difficult but getting promoted. I have had to overcome some hurdles, but I believe that where there is a will there is a way, and I’ve kept on moving. Some of the barriers affect not just women but also minorities, so it is more about diversity than specifically gender. But women in particular do not have as easy access to informal networks as men, which can hinder their progress. Women try to achieve things with less networking, and tend to be more direct and blunt – which can be challenging for their teams and bosses. But I don’t want to generalise too much as all women are different.

I think appointing someone like me is a sign that things are changing – I am not your traditional waste guy. I am also helping things to change by putting diversity at the top of my agenda. We have to change from within. We still need people who are experienced in the industry – usually male and white – but we also need those who can think out of the box and bring new ideas, and I try to achieve a balance and a mixture. In my experience you have to first show all women that it is possible and second be open to promoting different kinds of people, even though they may not have typical CVs – you have to take risks.

You previously worked in waste management in Greater Paris, and now you are in London. Do they have similar problems as capital cities, or their own unique challenges?

Despite their different histories, London and Paris have many similar problems to do with urbanisation and high density. Our main challenges are how to handle collections and promote recycling or recovery in these urbanised areas. Logistics are also an issue

5 m i n u t e s w i t h E s t e l l e B r ach l i a nof f

Is the UK waste industry different from that in France, and in what ways?

It used to be very different but the UK has been through tremendous, positive change over the past 10 years. Back then, 80% of waste was going to landfills, but this has come down to 49% through initiatives like landfill tax and PFIs (Private Finance Initiatives) to build new facilities for recovery and recycling. It is incredible that this has been achieved in such a short period of time. France has reduced its landfill waste from 41% to 28% in the same period so the trend has been a lot slower. Nevertheless there is still room for improvement, especially in the commercial and manufacturing sectors.

PFIs are slowing down for many reasons, one being the difficulty in getting planning permission in this country. A lot of projects ultimately fail for this reason.

It is democracy but I think it is legitimate to ask whether the balance is right. Another reason is that the risk balance is weighted against the private sector and a lot of companies have withdrawn from the process because it became too risky for too little reward. It is one thing to win a PFI, but quite another to build and operate it.

What is Veolia’s agenda for sustainability and contributing to the green economy?

Estelle Brachlianoff

because of the density. However, there are wonderful opportunities too. I had never experienced anything like the Olympics. It was a tremendous experience to see dedicated, fully engaged people under my management, not only doing their jobs of cleaning streets and collecting dustbins wonderfully but also doing more, like answering tourists’ questions and giving directions.

We are investing £1 billion in the next six years in facilities for recycling and recovery such as waste plants, new recycling plants, and new in-vessel composting plants. This investment will avoid landfill, create 28,000 more jobs and give back to the local community.

I’m very proud that we have been given the platinum award by Business In The Community Corporate Responsibility Index for what we do in employing local people, training people and volunteering. Driving Veolia towards more energy recovery and recycling is one of my main priorities, and we are spending a lot of money in research & development and innovation to this end.

What keeps you awake at night?

What did you do before Veolia and how did you rise to the top in waste management?

Before I joined Veolia in 2005, I spent eight years as a civil servant building highways, mainly in the outskirts of Paris, and designing tramways that are being built now, 15 years later. I also worked as an advisor in the cabinet office. The common thread is that I am really passionate about people, and about the realisation of things that you can see or touch physically. I found that in the construction sector and now in Veolia. I am also a big city lady. It took me two seconds to say yes to the proposal to move to London – a small city would have been a lot more difficult for me.

Health and safety – I have 12,000 employees under my stewardship and my responsibility is to keep them safe. Being a CEO of a company such as Veolia, the only thing you fear is accidents that could have been avoided. We are among the best in class in terms of our health and safety performance, but that is not good enough for me. I won’t be satisfied until we have zero accidents in this country.

What is the best aspect of your job?

The ability to drive the agenda and deliver new ideas, new business and new initiatives for Veolia and the market. I KF info - may / june - 13

Still guiding the way for global business. ft.com/125

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n e ws i n t h e ci t y

An embattled Budget for Britain The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer has set out his spending plans for the next year, but with limited change in the public purse and few new ideas for fostering growth, it remains to be seen whether this budget will make any difference at all to GDP

G

© flcikr/HM Treasury

ranted, Chancellor George Osborne had little room to manoeuvre when setting the 2013 Budget for the UK. With national debt continuing to climb, the deficit barely budging at £120.9 billion, and growth forecasts slashed to 0.6% by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), there is broad consensus that he had to negotiate a precarious path along a narrow escarpment.

But the question remains whether it is a Budget that will make any difference at all to Britain’s flatlining economy.

For business there were some fillips, among them a further 1 percentage point reduction in corporation tax to 20% from April 2015, which will give Britain the lowest main rate of corporation tax in the G20, alongside Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey; a cut in employer’s national insurance tax The Chancellor with the world famous Gladstone Budget Box that will help small businesses and start-ups; and encouragement for innovation in shocks. While the fiscal impact of the Budget was enhanced R&D tax credit relief. The downside is that essentially neutral, with ‘giveaways’ almost exactly most of these measures take effect at least 12 months offsetting ‘takeaways’, some economists see potential down the line. And any hopes for radical supply-side changes announced to the Bank of England’s remit on reform were disappointed. Infrastructure spend is monetary policy as positive because more flexibility being increased by a mere £3 billion per annum from may encourage growth. Ernst & Young’s ITEM Club 2015, paid for by a squeeze in public spending, and foresees a boost to consumer spending when housing with no details provided on how the money would be and personal tax measures feed through to disposable spent, the future of many projects remains on hold. incomes, supported by rising employment numbers, Most worrying is public sector debt, which is now but is gloomy about an export-led recovery, or any projected to be £100 billion higher by 2017-18 than imminent rebalancing of the economy. Others are the £1.5 trillion laid down in the Autumn Statement, sceptical that this Budget will deliver growth in any and at 85% of GDP, dangerously close to becoming a shape or form, most notably the OBR, whose chairman millstone that throttles economic growth.

Robert Chote wrote that none of the budgetary GDP growth remains elusive, with the government measures gave it cause to revise its forecasts: ‘we still aiming to achieve this through tight fiscal policy assume that they will have ... no impact on the level and loose monetary policy, barring any euro crisis of GDP at the end of the forecasting horizon’. I KF info - may / june - 15

news in the cit y

Profile

Elisabeth Markart Elisabeth Markart is the General Manager of the London Branch of Banque Transatlantique, one of France’s oldest private banks with a strong focus on serving expatriates, diplomats and international civil servants, and a Patron member of the French Chamber

“T

hink and walk out of the box” was and still is my philosophy’, says Elisabeth Markart, who at the age of 18 left her native Austria to study abroad.

True to form she chose an unconventional and demanding path, opting for a ‘Hypokhâgne’ in Paris only two years after starting to learn French. ‘I am very fond of history, literature, Latin, philosophy and foreign languages and there I was, among the young French elite,’ she recalls. ‘I later added Economics and Finance which are still my field of competence and professional activity.’ She then switched to the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), which she describes as ‘a very open, challenging and interesting institution’.

This was by no means the only atypical route taken

by Elisabeth. She also attended IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de Défense Nationale, Session Nationale (SN) 62), which runs courses on security, defence and geopolitical issues for high level civil servants, MPs and executives from various professional backgrounds, together with high military officers of the CHEM (Centre des Hautes Etudes Militaires). ‘This is selective and highly regarded training for people interested in defence issues – it is an unforgettable year and you make relationships that last for the rest of your life,’ comments Elisabeth.

Years later, having worked in both Europe and the US, she ‘deemed it necessary to discover Asia’ and, while working for HSBC, opted to study for an MBA in Singapore where INSEAD offers a joint degree with Qinghua School of Economics Elisabeth Markart and Management (the Beijing-based top-ranked business school at Qinghua University).

Elisabeth’s diverse international experience was honed working in various senior advisor and executive roles at Merrill Lynch, HSBC, UBS and Deutsche Bank, and has been very valuable to her current role at 16 - info - may / june

Banque Transatlantique in London, which was a newly created position. ‘I am a passionate Private Banker,’ she explains. ‘The essence of my role is to understand our clients’ needs. I draw on these experiences to build a unique service offer for our private clients.’

For nearly a century Banque Transatlantique has been the bank of French diplomats, and its services were extended to French expatriates in the 1990s. It is a subsidiary of CM-CIC, the French mutualist group which has one of the best credit ratings worldwide.

Now the bank is moving into International Private Wealth Management, which requires a global presence and a higher level of international integration. Hence Elisabeth’s appointment and move to London in June 2012. ‘Many of our clients have chosen to live and work out of London – you need to be close to your clients to understand their concerns and help them realise their projects,’ she says.

One of the projects Banque Transatlantique has been involved in is the new French school in Wembley, for which it has provided a £40 million loan. ‘This is a very good example of our support for the French and francophone community worldwide and how Banque Transatlantique implements its expertise and is able to achieve outstanding results through cross country teams,’ Elisabeth points out.

Elisabeth is presiding over some very ambitious plans for the London Branch of the bank. ‘We are going to set up an offer to service private clients locally and give them access to the whole range of services offered throughout the group in various jurisdictions and locations,’ she says. As she leads the London team in building a High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth franchise for Banque Transatlantique, there is no doubt that Elisabeth Markart will adhere to her maxim of thinking – and working – out of the box. I KF

news in the cit y

Britain goes to court over proposed financial transactions tax

© NASA/Bill Ingalls

tax, which levies 0.1% on stock and bond trades and 0.01% on derivative deals in the tax area, but will also apply to transactions outside the tax area when they are issued by one of the 11 participating countries, thereby stinging London where many trades take place.

It is this extraterritorial aspect of the proposal that the UK is concerned about, and it is challenging the authorising decision at the European Court of Justice on grounds that the tax would be unfair to countries unwilling to take part. Increasing the cost of such deals would be detrimental to the value of business carried out in Britain’s financial sector and George Osborne has criticised it as ‘a tax on pensioners and people with savings and investments’ rather than a tax on banks or bankers.

Proponents of the tax believe it will discourage speculative trading while raising public funds. I KF

The European Court of Justice

||| The UK government has launched a legal challenge against plans for a European financial transactions tax amidst fears it could have a devastating impact on the City of London. Eleven out of 27 EU states – among them France and Germany – plan to implement the

Another downgrade for the UK’s credit rating ||| Citing weak growth and a disappointing outcome of austerity policies, Fitch has downgraded its rating for the UK to AA+, becoming the second credit ratings agency to do so after Moody’s reduced the UK’s sovereign debt rating in February.

Fitch did, however, leave its outlook for the

new rating as ‘stable’ because of Chancellor George Osborne’s ongoing policy commitment to reducing the budget deficit. Now out of the three credit ratings agencies, only Standard & Poor’s retains a triple-A rating for the UK, a position it reaffirmed in early April. I KF

Russian tinge to Britain’s Rich List ||| Russian tycoon Alisher Usmanov is the richest person in Britain, according to the Sunday Times Rich List, an annual ranking of the wealthiest people in Britain and Ireland. Worth £13.3 billion, the owner of iron ore producer Metalloinvest also has a 30% stake in Arsenal football club. He is one of three Russians to dominate the top five places, the others being media mogul Len Blavatnik, whose £11 billion fortune puts him in second place, and fifth-placed Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea football club who made his money in the oil industry and is now worth £9.3 billion.

Only one person has made the top 10 every year since the List was first published in 1989 and he is also

the highest placed British-born person – the Duke of Westminster. He comes in at eighth with his £7.8 billion property fortune.

Her Majesty the Queen headed the first ever list, but her then wealth of £5.2 billion included the Crown Estates and royal art collection, which since 1993 have been excluded from the value of her personal worth, and now she does not even make the top 200. She was one of only nine billionaires in the first list; the latest counts 88, up from last year’s 77. Pooling the fortunes of the 1,000 richest people in Britain and Ireland would amass £450 billion, but very little of that has actually been earned in Britain. I KF info - may / june - 17

news Compiled by Hannah Medioni

Companies

Saint-Gobain opens inspirational new innovation centre ||| Saint-Gobain’s new Innovation Centre was officially opened on 13 March by French Ambassador to the United Kingdom H.E. Mr Bernard Emié and PierreAndré de Chalendar, CEO of Saint-Gobain Group and Peter Hindle MBE, General Delegate Saint-Gobain UK, Ireland and South Africa.

Located at 95 Great Portland Street, London, the Saint-Gobain Innovation Centre showcases the latest solutions for a more sustainable built environment from the company’s UK businesses, including Artex, British Gypsum, Ecophon, Saint-Gobain Glass, Saint-Gobain Isover, Saint-Gobain PAM, Pasquill and Saint-Gobain Weber. As well as demonstrating how products and systems work in practice, the venue is also designed to inspire visitors to consider new solutions that correspond with the market needs of today and tomorrow, bringing together influential industry thought leaders to help drive evolution and innovation.

Facilities at the Centre include a ‘library’ illustrating the breadth and depth of materials offered and distributed by Saint-Gobain, collaborative

Cutting the ribbon, L to R: Mr Bernard Emié, Pierre-André de Chalendar and Peter Hindle MBE

work spaces and two meeting rooms. Speaking at the launch, Pierre-André de Chalendar said: ‘With this new Innovation Centre, Saint-Gobain opens up to professionals with a global vision of our market to help develop and stimulate research. This Innovation Centre reflects our ambition: to become the reference for sustainable habitat, bringing innovative solutions to meet the main challenges of our time.’ I

© wikipedia/Sunil060902

Alstom, TSO and Costain joint venture (ATC) wins Crossrail infrastructure contract

A Crossrail platform at Heathrow

||| The ATC joint venture has been awarded its first contract to fit out and commission the Crossrail tunnels currently being bored under the streets of London.

The contract is worth over €350 million, and is 18 - info - may / june

one of the largest that Crossrail intends to award. It will see the Alstom-led joint venture fitting out the 21km of twin tunnels that will stretch under London with the track and power equipment necessary for Crossrail trains to operate from 2018. ATC will be installing over 40km of track, together with rigid overhead conductors, a system that is being used for the first time in the UK to power heavy mainline trains through tunnels. The Crossrail tunnel fit-out works will also require over 50,000 cubic metres of concrete delivered by a unique ‘concrete train’, as well as the installation of 48 ventilation fans, 40km of walkways, 66 drainage pumps, 40km of fire mains, and lighting throughout the entire length.

The fit-out works will be carried out within the entire tunnelled section of the Crossrail route between Royal Oak, Pudding Mill Lane and Plumstead Portals. I

news

Total resumes production in the Elgin/Franklin area of the North Sea ||| Total is restarting production in the Elgin/Franklin area, following the approval of the safety case by the UK Health and Safety Executive. Production will resume gradually to reach 70,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, which is 50% of the production potential from the fields.

In order to recover the production levels which existed before the Elgin incident, a redevelopment project to drill new infill wells on Elgin and Franklin is currently under study. Meanwhile, the West Franklin Phase II development project is ongoing with production start-up scheduled for 2014.

Production from the Elgin/Franklin area, which

includes the Elgin, Franklin, West Franklin and Glenelg fields, totalled over 700 million barrels of oil equivalent (Mboe) by the end of 2012. The remaining reserves are in excess of 500 Mboe and were not impacted by the Elgin incident.

Production was stopped on 25 March 2012 when a gas leak caused by a combination of unprecedented events occurred on the G4 well. A thorough investigation led by Total revealed that the leak was caused by a type of stress corrosion which was unique to the G4 well and was fed from a nonproducing chalk layer located approximately 1km above the original reservoir.

Prime Minister opens Thales UK’s Glasgow vehicle integration facility to mark 125th anniversary ||| Thales UK’s Glasgow facility was visited by Prime Minister David Cameron on 4 April to mark the company’s 125th anniversary in the UK. Mr Cameron officially opened a new vehicle integration facility at the site that will primarily upgrade vehicles for the UK armed forces, but also for potential export customers.

In his welcoming address Mr Cameron said: ‘It was great to visit Thales and I want to wish the company a very happy 125th birthday. Earlier today I was winched from a helicopter onto HMS Victorious, one of our Trident nuclear submarines. One of the things I did on that submarine was look through the incredible periscope made by Thales to scan the horizon. It was an incredible piece of equipment and a signal of the brilliance of this company and this organisation.’

The Prime Minister also expressed his support for the continuation of Anglo-French defence and cooperation, which is welcomed by Thales. Thales is one of only a few companies that have significant defence

Left to right: Victor Chavez, CEO of Thales UK, Prime Minister David Cameron, Jean-Bernard Levy, Chairman and CEO of Thales Group, Alex Creswell, EVP of Land & Air Systems at Thales

industrial footprints in both countries, and already uses these to deliver added value through the pull-through and reuse of technology across national boundaries. I

EADS concludes share purchase agreement with French State ||| Further to its announcement of 15 April 2013 and in the frame of its share buyback programme, EADS has confirmed the conclusion of a share purchase agreement with the French State for the acquisition off-

market of a stake of 1.56% in EADS for € 482.7 million.

As part of the same buyback programme, EADS also participated in the placement by Daimler AG, acquiring 1.95% of its own shares for €600 million. I info - may / june - 19

news

British Airways orders 18 A350-1000 aircraft from Airbus

The Airbus A350-1000 aircraft

||| International Airline Group (IAG), and British Airways have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to buy 18 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft plus 18 options, as part of the airline’s on-going long-haul aircraft fleet renewal and modernisation strategy.

IAG, owner of both British Airways and Iberia, has also secured commercial terms and delivery slots that could lead to firm orders for Iberia. Firm orders will only be made when Iberia is in a position to grow profitably, having restructured and reduced its cost base.

The choice of the A350-1000 follows British Airways’ decision in 2007 to buy 12 Airbus A380s, the first of which will be delivered this summer.

Operating the A380 and A350 together delivers real value to the world’s leading airlines because it allows them to match aircraft capacity to traffic demand on any route.

‘This is an important announcement from one of the world’s most respected and influential airline brands,’ said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer – Customers, at Airbus. ‘The A380 and the A350 are perfectly matched for greener long haul operations and demonstrate environmental leadership. We are simply delighted that British Airways has chosen the A350 to spread its global wings and its iconic livery.’ I

Asendia acquires Pitney Bowes in the UK Asendia, the joint venture created in 2012 between Swiss Post and La Poste is to acquire the international mail services operations of Pitney Bowes Inc. in the UK, which encompass international mail logistics and distribution services for customers to over 215 countries. The acquisition strengthens Asendia’s market position in the UK and confirms Asendia’s strategy for development and growth in cross-border mail. The acquisition expands Asendia’s capacity and opens up significant business opportunities, in

particular, increasing growth and market share in crossborder e-commerce, catalogues, direct mail and press and publishing. ‘This acquisition confirms Asendia’s commitment to international mail and the UK market, and strengthens our capabilities to respond rapidly to sustain our customers’ continuing need for the most comprehensive range of international mail solutions,’ said Frédéric Petton, Chief Executive, Asendia United Kingdom. The transaction is expected to be completed at the end of May. I

Pritchard Englefield and Thomas Eggar announce merger ||| Thomas Eggar has been clear for some time about its intention to strengthen its London office as a part of its strategy to develop specialist teams and to give greater access to an international client base.

Pritchard Englefield is highly regarded both for its international and domestic work, particularly advising on Anglo-German and Anglo-French trade, finance and commerce. The merger will add strength and depth to both firms’ current offering and 20 - info - may / june

will provide a strong base from which to develop additional specialist teams, including Financial Services.

The London office will be operating under the name of Thomas Eggar incorporating Pritchard Englefield. Together, the firm will offer a broader range of legal services to clients, and through Pritchard Englefield’s international connections, gain a strong profile in certain key jurisdictions. I

news

VINCI Construction UK awarded £8.4m Royal College of Art development ||| Known as the ‘Sir Po-Shing and Lady Helen Woo Department of Applied Art’, the building is the latest phase of the college’s Battersea Campus development; the largest dedicated centre for postgraduate applied arts in the UK. A purpose-built studio will be included, as will technical facilities and teaching space for staff and students from applied arts programmes.

The building was designed simultaneously with the neighbouring Dyson Building. Work on the project will commence in late April, with completion due in September 2014. I

The Royal College of Art

CBRE appointed global property partner for the British Council ||| CBRE, the global property advisor, has been appointed by the British Council to be its Global Property Partner providing real estate transaction, project management and property consultancy services worldwide.

The British Council, a Royal Charter charity, which specialises in international education and cultural relations, has its global headquarters in London, and operates in 109 countries with over 7,000 staff.

CBRE will provide services across the British Council’s portfolio, which is in excess of two million square feet, comprising 270 commercial properties including teaching centres and offices.

Angela Gibbins, Head, Global Estates, British Council, said: ‘After conducting a thorough global review, we are very much looking forward to working

with CBRE as our Global Property Partner. CBRE will help us to streamline and speed up the delivery of capital projects and also optimise the efficiency of the portfolio.’

Alex Andel, Head of Client Solutions EMEA, CBRE, said: ‘Our team is committed to providing the British Council with the best possible global real estate services delivery platform to support their business growth and change. We are able to bring together a combination of global governance and local transaction and project management specialists.

As a result, we deliver high value, localised solutions whilst providing an agile central management and control and take ownership of our commitment to delivering quality and value.’ I

Eurostar begins new ‘Route du Soleil’ service to Lyon and Provence ||| A new weekly service from London’s St Pancras International en route to Lyon, Avignon (TGV) and Aix-en-Provence (TGV) begins in May. The ‘Route du Soleil’ is Eurostar’s first new direct route in over 10 years and offers sun starved travellers a stress free journey through the beautiful French countryside.

The trial service which operates this year from 4 May to 29 June 2013 has proved extremely popular with travellers keen to avoid the low-cost airline experience. Eurostar has also added more than 200 extra services to Paris from 4 May to 1 September 2013 to satisfy demand over weekends and bank holidays during the summer months. I

Eurostar in the Provence countryside: a Van Gogh-style picture commissioned to mark the occasion info - may / june - 21

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news

International SOS announces strategic partnership with London’s Air Ambulance ||| International SOS and London’s Air Ambulance has announced a strategic partnership for 2013.

London’s Air Ambulance, the charity that delivers an advanced trauma team to critically injured people in London, helped almost 2,000 patients last year and is keen to enhance its expert medical services that are delivered across the capital by adding a second helicopter, additional medical teams, and an enhanced research and innovation programme. As a leading medical assistance provider, International SOS recognises the importance of these initiatives and is supporting its fundraising efforts.

To kick off the new collaboration, International SOS and London Air Ambulance held a special ‘Emergency Response – Go Behind the Scenes’ event on 12 April at Chiswick Park. Mary Macleod, MP for Brentford and

From L to R: Mary Macleod MP (Chiswick, Osterley, Brentford and Isleworth); Stephen Hammond MP (Wimbledon), Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport; RUBY, The Official Mascot of London’s Air Ambulance; Graham Hodgkin, Chief Executive, London’s Air Ambulance; Andrew Skehel, Managing Director (Northern Europe), International SOS

Isleworth said: ‘Compared to other parts of the UK where one helicopter serves 1.5 million people, London is alone in relying on one helicopter for 11 million people, and I am pleased to see International SOS taking a business lead in support of this much needed charity that saves lives.’ I

© flickr/Phil W Shirley

Alstom awarded long term maintenance of South Humber Bank power plant

South Humber Bank power plant

||| Centrica Energy has awarded Alstom a €120 million contract for gas turbine maintenance services at its South Humber Bank power station in the north of the UK. The

agreement covers the five Alstom GT13E2 gas turbines installed at the 1260 MW combined-cycle power plant over the next seven years.

In addition to the delivery of parts and equipment for the performance of all planned inspections on the five gas turbines, Alstom will supply all necessary craft labour as well as on-site technical field advisors. The contract also includes delivery of two additional upgrade packages based on the successful validation of the first upgrade installed in February 2012 on a single turbine at the same power station.

Hans-Peter Meer, Senior Vice President of Alstom Thermal Services said: ‘This upgrade represents one of our most significant service innovations for the installed fleet.

It helps our customers to increase the competitiveness of their power generation assets by increasing plant performance and reducing operation costs.’ I info - may / june - 23

news

Relais & Châteaux Grand Chefs create culinary theatre in London

The former fish market at Old Billingsgate was transformed into a verdant culinary arena

F

or one night only, Old Billingsgate in London was the setting for an extraordinary dinner that transformed the original London Fish Market into an English kitchen garden with grassy paths and artful displays of herbs, vegetables and flowers. Forty-six of Relais & Châteaux’s Grands Chefs gathered there on 22 April to put on a spectacular culinary performance for 600 gourmet guests, among them film stars, politicians, musicians, business luminaries and celebrities, as well as 70 journalists, 25 of whom were French. The French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain was a partner of the event alongside Pommery, Nespresso, D. Porthault, McLaren, Silversea, Hertz, Visit Britain, Great Britain You’re Invited, London & Partners, Eurostar and Air France. Guests had paid £650 per ticket for the privilege of attending this unique dinner, which is the third stage in a Culinary 24 - info - may / june

World Tour that began in Château de Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors and took place in New York last year.

After a Pommery champagne reception, the Dîner began with Raymond Blanc, Claude Bosi and Andrew Fairlie leading the Relais & Châteaux Grands Chefs to their allocated cooking pods, positioned among the tables. Each chef prepared a dish with a key ingredient sourced in the UK. David Heath CBE, the UK Minister of State for Agriculture and Food said he was ‘happy to celebrate and share British products and everything that is good’. Raymond Blanc also commented on the changes in Great Britain in the 40 years he has been here: ‘The revolution is going very well! We now have great British products.’

Dream teams of chefs included an all-female lineup (Hélène Darroze of Restaurant Hélène Darroze in France, Annie Féolde of Enoteca Pinchiorri in Italy, and

news Margot Janse of Le Quartier Français in South Africa) and a ‘Loiseau’ signature team (Patrick Bertron of Le Relais Bernard Loiseau in France, Michael Caines of Gidleigh Park in England, and Hiroshi Yamagushi of Kobe Kitano in Japan). For the Table d’Honneur, where Relais & Châteaux President Jaume Tàpies hosted 20 guests, Raymond Blanc and Gary Jones of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons teamed up with Andrew Fairlie of Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles in Scotland and Patrick Henriroux of La Pyramide near Lyon in France.

Working in teams of three, the Grands Chefs created 15 unique five-course menus. Each team prepped, cooked and presented their creations working with seasonal local produce to demonstrate and marry their combined talent and individual skills. The meal was accompanied by the Pommery Champagnes including Cuvée Louise Pommery Rosé Millésime 2000, Cuvée Louise Millésime 1990 and Cuvée Louise Pommery Millésime 1999.

At the end of the dinner, Lord Dalmeny, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s UK, conducted a live auction for six unique experiential prizes, each one exclusively created by Relais & Châteaux and their event partners.

The night raised over £100,000 from the live and silent auctions with all proceeds going to the Grand Chefs’ chosen charity Action Against Hunger, the international humanitarian organisation committed to ending child hunger.

Commenting on the success of the evening, Jaume Tàpies said: ‘Passion, extraordinary produce from Great Britain, world’s best culinary talents and exceptional generosity were just some of the ingredients that contributed to create an unforgettable event. 46 Relais & Châteaux Grands Chefs came from all around the world to celebrate London as a leading gourmet capital. By cooking together for passionate food lovers they demonstrated that good food combined with friendship is the best recipe for happiness’. I

The Chefs tour London

The Chefs parade

Raymond Blanc

Guests enjoying the gourmet theatre

From L to R: Jaume Tàpies, President of Relais & Châteaux; Florence Gomez, MD of the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain; Nathalie Vranken, Ambassador of Domaine Pommery, and her husband Paul-François Vranken, President and Chief Executive of VrankenPommery. (Photo by David M. Benett/Getty Images for Relais & Chateaux)

info - may / june - 25

news

Air France Music wins award for its iPhone application ||| With its new iPhone app, ‘Music in the Sky’, Air France Music has not only attracted music lovers but also the jury of the Strategies / Amaury Media digital marketing 2013 Grand Prix, on 20 March, winning an award for its original and fun concept, in the ‘Mobile app / brand tablet’ category.

What could be more innovative than raising your iPhone towards the sky to catch pieces of music hidden in the clouds, and make up a trendy playlist!

Designed by BETC, the app also offers music lovers new tracks depending on where they land, from Paris to Tokyo via Buenos Aires, each sky has its own tracks. I The Air France app

French Chamber members among Top 50 Employers for Women 2013 ||| Published in April, The Times Top 50 Employers for Women list of UK organisations that are leading the way in gender equality in the workplace includes 10 French Chamber member companies: Barclays, Capgemini UK, Danone, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, HSBC, IBM UK, Lloyds Banking Group, Morgan Stanley and PwC. The Times Top 50 is free for any employer with a UK presence to enter and involves a comprehensive submission process, managed and judged by Opportunity Now. All organisations within the Top 50, which are unranked, are able to demonstrate that gender equality is an integral part of their business strategy, with consistent commitment to progressing women in the workplace that covers their entire Delahaye_Ad_82_62 19/1/09areas.

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26 - info - may / june

Hats off to...

Nathalie Moreno is made London Representative Officer of the Paris Bar Dr Nathalie Moreno, a partner specialising in TMT law for the international law firm Speechly Bircham LLP in London has been Nathalie Moreno appointed by the chair of the Paris Bar, Madame Le Bâtonnier, Christiane Féral-Schuhl, as London Representative Officer of the Paris Bar. She will be the first port of call in the UK for all relations with the Paris Bar, for individuals, companies and institutions based or soon to be based in the UK. This new appointment follows the Paris Bar initiative to set up a Strategic European and International Policy Committee as well as International Commissions which play an increasing role in its global policy activities.

International Commissions such as the ParisLondon Commission are headed by a Chair based in Paris and a local Representative Officer in the foreign jurisdiction. Dr Nathalie Moreno is currently one of 10 local Representative Officers of the Paris Bar worldwide. I

news

hello, goodbye...

Mark Bomer

Mark Bomer appointed Main Representative of BDO at the French Chamber Mark graduated from Oxford University and joined BDO in 1986. In 1991 he moved to BDO Paris, where he co-founded the Corporate Finance team, becoming partner in 1994. On his return to the UK in 2001, he became a partner with the London BDO Transaction Services team, leading financial due diligence assignments, advising UK private equity houses, and advising on cross-border transactions, in particular involving France. Co-author of ‘Due Diligence Definitive Steps to Successful Business Combinations’, published by Pearson, Mark regularly writes and speaks on financial due diligence. Mark was elected as the firm’s Senior Partner in June 2011 and chairs the firm’s Partnership Council. I

Laurent Feniou appointed Managing Director of Cartier UK, taking over from François le Troquer After graduating from ESCP, Laurent Feniou started his career as a Navy Officer at the French Embassy in Madrid. Before moving to Cartier Laurent spent 20 years as an investment banker, initially at Credit Suisse First Boston, working in London, New York, Palo Alto and Paris, and later at Rothschild Bank, where he ultimately became Managing Director in London. He is a French Foreign Trade advisor and a board member of his former business school, ESCP. I Laurent Feniou

Charlotte Roule becomes Managing Director of Storengy UK, taking over from Bruno Leray A graduate of ‘Paris II’ Law University and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris, Charlotte Roule has 15 years of experience in the energy sector, having held legal, finance and HR positions within the GDF SUEZ Group. She joined the storage business five years ago, and before her recent appointment was in charge of Audit and Performance activities for Storengy throughout Europe. Bruno Leray, whom she replaced in January, has become Technical Director for Storengy business worldwide. I Charlotte Roule

Gwenaelle Maret-Delos becomes Managing Director for Atout France UK & Ireland, succeeding Jean-Pierre Courteau who has retired A graduate of Lund University in Sweden with a Masters in Tourism from Marne La Vallée University in France, Gwenaelle Maret-Delos began her career at the former Maison de la France’s headquarters in Paris in charge of French trade fairs. She spent most of her career in Sweden and Denmark, where she was Managing Director for the Denmark, Norway and Finland markets for the past five years. She now heads the biggest representation of Atout France around the world, with a team of 30 people. I Gwenaelle Maret-Delos

info - may / june - 27

news Schools

ESCP Europe updates its Executive MBA with women in mind ||| The needs of women have been placed at the heart of recent updates to ESCP Europe Business School’s Executive Master in Business Administration (EMBA) programme. These include a new elective course on ‘Women in Leadership’, a series of networking events (including affiliation with EPWN, the European Professional Women’s Network) and special scholarships targeted at women with leadership potential.

The new ‘Women in Leadership’ Elective takes the stance that ‘women matter’ and is geared mainly towards women looking for ways to succeed in top management, which remains largely male-dominated.

Topics include the challenges of working ‘in a men’s world’; the importance of organisational policies, processes and infrastructure; individual enablers;

self-knowledge and branding and Harvard Business School case studies.

The launch of targeted scholarships has also adapted the EMBA to the needs of women.

Scholarships have been increased to the value of €15,000. The criteria include future professional and leadership potential, demonstrated by the quality of an essay submitted in support of the application, together with a track record of success (educational and professional) demonstrated through the application and performance at interview.

Scholarships targeted at candidates from small and medium-sized enterprises, non-governmental organisations and less-developed countries are also open to women candidates. I

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28 - info - may / june

news Schools

London School of Business & Finance (LSBF) offers Women in Business Scholarship ||| Over the last decades, the corporate world has seen a big shift in the role played by women, not only in executive and managerial positions, but also across boardrooms, bringing a different angle to the decisionmaking process. Reflecting this trend, the London School of Business & Finance (LSBF) offers a postgraduate scholarship programme targeted exclusively at women who want to pursue careers in business.

Open to candidates from all nationalities, the programme aims to provide female leaders with better career prospects, encouraging the strategic and analytical thinking necessary to progress up the corporate ladder.

The London School of Business and Finance Funded by the business school’s faculty, the LSBF Women in Business Scholarship was introduced to alleviate the financial barriers and an established track record of excellence in their women face internationally, giving them access chosen career,’ said Professor Maurits Van Rooijen, to global education and the opportunity to follow Rector and CEO at LSBF. careers in the corporate world.

Scholarship candidates can apply to study one of ‘Our programme is open to all applicants who can LSBF’s MBAs or masters degrees. The courses cover demonstrate leadership potential in a global business subjects such as Finance, Marketing, Law and Fashion environment both with exceptional academic merits & Luxury Management. I

Florence Mele of ESCP Europe joins Cherie Blair Foundation for Women as mentor ||| Taking inspiration from a conference organised by the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, ESCP Europe’s UK Director of Studies, Florence Mele has taken on a mentorship role with the organisation.

Many women in developing and emerging markets have the ideas and ambition to become successful entrepreneurs but are held back by barriers such as lack of access to business skills, technology, networks and finance. In response, the Foundation has developed an innovative solution that combines mentoring with technology to offer cross-border support to women entrepreneurs.

The Mentoring Women in Business Programme matches women in developing and emerging countries with male and female mentors around the world. Using its online platform, they spend 12 months working one-on-one to achieve key business goals. Participants build their business skills and digital literacy and

become part of a global community of committed, ambitious entrepreneurs, invested in each other’s success. The programme boosts confidence, improves business performance and ultimately creates wealth for the entrepreneurs, which then spreads to children, families and communities at large.

Florence’s first mentoring relationship is with a Pakistani woman in Karachi who has published a beautiful book on the country and its culture and would like to promote it abroad. At this stage, they are working on ideas and options for entering the European market.

In Florence’s words: ‘As a mentor, I expect to learn a lot in return about the business environment and culture from the women I’ll be helping. I am sure that it will be a challenging and stimulating experience which will develop my experience and creativity. It is a win-win relationship.’ I info - may / june - 29

spotlight on s m e s & s ta r t u p s

Briefs

Two UK winners for lepetitjournal.com French Living Abroad Awards

The 2013 laureates of the French Living Abroad Awards

||| The French Living Abroad Awards ceremony, launched by lepetitjournal.com, took place on 7 March at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (located on the Quai d’Orsay), under the patronage of Hélène Conway-Mouret, the minister responsible for French citizens abroad.

This first edition’s aim was to highlight the exceptional paths of French expatriates, representing their country all around the world. Far from the clichés of tax-exempt exiles or executives who take it easy in the sun, the 2.5 million French expatriates contribute to the positive and modern image of France. In various fields, their work demonstrates not only excellence and an attachment to French values, but also true courage to adapt to a different environment.

After Hélène Conway-Mouret’s introduction, Hervé Heyraud, the President and Founder of the lepetitjournal.com editions, who organised the awards, spoke. The awards were then presented to the following six laureates, two of whom are based in the UK: Entrepreneur award: Nadine Barbier (Egypt), Social/Humanitarian award: Pascale Fritsch (UK), Environment award: Jacques Flamand (South Africa), Youth award: Laurent Le Pajolec (Poland), Art de vivre award: Pascal Aussignac (UK), Jury award: Nadine Plet (New Zealand) I

Ladurée makes its first fashion foray with Uniqlo ||| Leaving its gourmet universe, Ladurée has for the first time embarked on a very particular adventure by joining the famous Japanese brand Uniqlo.

From this unexpected collaboration has emerged a small collection of Tshirts for women and young girls with various designs reinterpreting the codes and colours of the gourmet brand of macarons. Part of the profits will be donated to a Japanese association that helps children who were victims of Japan’s tsunami. I

MIC becomes TheWesley ||| The Methodist International Centre (MIC) has changed its name to TheWesley, a name that not only embodies its heritage and links to John Wesley, a pioneer in social entrepreneurship, but also reflects its evolution into a successful modern business.

Awarded the Social Enterprise Mark Accreditation in 2010, TheWesley is the only hotel in the UK to have ever received this accolade. Located in Euston, the 100-room hotel recently underwent a £3 million make-over. I

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spotlight on s m e s & s ta r t u p s

China launch for The Art Newspaper ||| The Art Newspaper, owned by the independent art publishing group Umberto Allemandi, has entered into a partnership with the Beijing-based Modern Media Group to produce The Art Newspaper China under licence from 2013.

Anna Somers Cocks, the Founding Editor and Chief Executive of The Art Newspaper, says: ‘The revival of art in China over the past 30 years has been one of the most revolutionary developments in that country. It is taken seriously by the Chinese government and is of great interest to the rest of the world. We look forward very much to this bilateral project that will increase understanding between China and the West.’

The editor of The Art Newspaper China will be Ye Ying, currently the arts editor of Bloomberg Businessweek/ China. She is also the author of a book on the 798 art district of Beijing, called The Story of 798. I

New PowerVote product streams PowerPoint to smartphones ||| The latest in PowerVote’s extensive range of event and interactive technology products is a solution that allows interactive, streaming of PowerPoint presentations to tablet computers and smartphones, which will help to engage audiences, encourage participation and evaluate feedback in real time.

The success of PowerVote’s wide range of products means that in just one year the UK branch has doubled its staff and its revenues. PowerVote Managing Director, Didier Moulin, said, ‘We focus on providing maximum value to our customers so we are always improving and developing our service and products. We are especially proud of this latest innovation because it expands the ways we can help our clients to capture and analyse insights from their audiences.’

PowerVote UK has worked with businesses and institutions such as the NHS, Mercedes-Benz, Allen & Overy, HSBC, Deloitte and the Hilton Group, and creates bespoke apps and interaction for conferences and events. The French Chamber has used its services for its M2M Cocktail for the past three years. I

SMTC eyes UK market after gaining EN9100 certification The Rooster: promoting French associations in the UK ||| Annick Devillard, Director of marketing agency The Rooster, has joined the Committee of the FAFGB – Fédération des Associations Françaises en Grande Bretagne – and put her skills to the service of the French community in the UK. The FAFGB brings together over 60 associations that encompass varied interests such as charities (including Société Française de Bienfaisance, Médecins du Monde and Dispensaire Français), Alumni (Sciences Po, ESSEC, ESCP Europe…), business (the French Chamber is a member) and others, such as regional and cultural associations, helping French people enjoy life in the UK and promoting good relations between the French and British communities. A key role of the FAFGB is also to create awareness and raise money for the charities that are members. Annick says: ‘As an SME, we are pleased to be able to contribute, albeit in a small way, and help raise awareness of French associations and charities in London.’ I

||| SMTC, the innovative French SME that designs and manufactures lightweight composite panels, recently achieved the coveted EN9100 International certification.

Accredited by AFNOR Group, the certification means SMTC meets international requirements to work in the aviation, defence and aerospace industries.

With wide experience in the rail industry, SMTC is expanding it activities with recognised French aviation, defence and aerospace companies. Now able to work face-to-face with such big names as EADS, Thales and DE&S, SMTC has recently established an office in London, with the aim of working with the UK’s most recognised companies. Watch this space! I info - may / june - 31

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Marie-Cécile Boulle, Boulle International ||| Mauritius-born Marie-Cécile Boulle knows only too well the challenges of setting up home in foreign lands.

Having lived in South Africa, Holland and the UK, she has had to learn new languages, adapt culturally, integrate and settle many times over. With that experience, a background in property sales, negotiations and acquisitions, and entrepreneurship ‘in the blood’, she came to the UK in 1994, initially commuting between London and Holland where her husband and younger daughter were living.

Used to South Africa’s highly regulated property business, based on Roman-Dutch law, Marie-Cécile was shocked by how loosely regulated it was in England, and after just one month working for an estate agent she left to start out on her own. It was a brave move as she had no capital or connections, but at the same time Marie-Cécile worked with developers, selling off-plan, and in the process got to know London well.

‘I called my property business Boulle International – my maiden name and the market I saw myself in,’ she says. ‘The most obvious starting point was the Frenchspeaking market, because my mother tongue is French.

At that time, many of the French here lived an expatriate life, and in most cases the partner, usually the wife, did not speak English at all, so the fact that they could go to somebody who could help them in French caught on very quickly. From my own experience of having to move countries from the age of 15, I know how hard it is. My business is very much driven by a desire to help, advise and make people feel at home and assist them in integrating into the local culture and custom’ she explains. Today, Marie-Cecile feels indebted to her colleagues’ dedication, hard work and determination to maintain this human approach which is Boulle International’s distinguishing factor.

Although she was a rare woman director in the property business 20 years ago, this was never an issue for Marie-Cécile, and she credits ‘the generosity of the English opening doors to foreigners’ for many of the breaks she had, from a developer giving her a carport converted in office space to work from and directing work her way, to estate agents who worked in partnership with her by offering their properties to her tenants.

Like many SMEs, Marie-Cécile started working from home – initially her mother’s flat, then a desk at a friend’s house and even her own converted garage – before getting her own office, and it was three years before she employed her first assistant. ‘I had to set it all up, get to know the law, take courses – I needed to do things well – that’s my French background,’ she

Marie-Cécile Boulle

says. Business flourished – growing up to 40% a year – and the team expanded, but at a certain point, just before the financial crisis, it became unwieldy and in a move to consolidate Marie-Cécile downsized, and deliberately set the focus on maintaining a high level of service for fewer clients.

Boulle International’s current team of 10 speaks several languages and serves clients of many nationalities, but its emphasis remains French. ‘We’ve followed the French evolution in London – the schools, the areas they prefer and their needs,’ Marie-Cécile explains. Initially that meant business concentrated on rentals but in recent years the French have been buying more property, and so the company has moved into acquisitions, positioning itself as a co-ordinator between its French clients and English landlords and vendors. ‘The English love the French as tenants and buyers and we act like a good mayonnaise to bring the two together.’ Boulle International’s client profile has also changed drastically with a decline in the number of expatriates on massive corporate packages and a steady increase in average middle-income families, and young people opting to stay and work in the UK rather than returning to France after internships. Herein lies the company’s future: ‘We are now looking to grow strategically – franchising in areas where the French are present is one of the ideas we are considering,’ says Marie-Cécile. So as London becomes more international, Boulle International will become more local. I info - may / june - 33

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Sylvie Casenave-Péré, Posson Packaging ||| Sylvie Casenave-Péré created her first successful business from an empty building given to her by her father-in-law, but when her husband’s family wanted to take it over, expecting her to become a stay-at-home mother everything changed. Sylvie found herself a single mother of four, but determined to continue working she found a way of combining a part-time job with a law degree, although she admits to spending all her income on childcare during this difficult period.

When she qualified, her boss was unable to finance her new salary expectations, and introduced her to the shareholder of Posson Packaging, a cardboard packaging producer on the verge of collapse, who was looking for an administrative receiver. Sylvie had specialised in this area, and he was eventually persuaded to entrust her with getting Posson Packaging back on track.

The company she took over in 1995 had an €6 million debt. Sylvie initially focused on the area and equipment, converting three plants across 22,000m² into a one 6000m² plant, writing-off over 35 trucks of stock (because of over-production), and destroying or selling unnecessary machinery. In just under a year she had renovated the place, started working towards ISO 9002.

In Sylvie’s eyes, the management was one of the main reasons for the company’s downfall, so she decided to gently weed out this group by helping them find jobs elsewhere and promoted the sub-team instead.

‘If a company does not reach its potential, the people involved in the management team are the culprits – not the workers,’ she says.

She developed communication channels by sharing ideas and informing the team about the market and the company itself – ‘the previous management never told them anything. No-one understood anything, she observes. She also regained the clients’ trust by getting to know them one by one. Nowadays, Posson Packaging uses an innovative type of in-house Twitter to communicate news and information. This system stands by itself and allows every employee to be implicated and involved in the development and growth of the company.

In 1997, the company got its first ISO, a success Sylvie celebrated with the whole team. It was clear from this point that the company was getting back on track – Posson Packaging was producing what its customers needed and sales were increasing.

Sylvie eventually became president of Posson Packaging, but when the shareholder decided to sell the company, she was determined to buy it herself.

This experience she describes as ‘a tough mountain

Sylvie Casenave-Péré

to climb’. She was told she would never be able to raise the money, but she did it with the help of a male friend ‘who spoke like a banker, despite the fact that he knew nothing about the company’, and in 2007 Sylvie became the owner of Posson Packaging.

Sylvie notes that very few women own the companies they lead and she wants to help make this happen. In her opinion it is a question of finding the right balance. ‘Nowadays, men are supportive husbands and brilliant fathers. They share the housework with women… so it should be the same for jobs’.

Sylvie treats Posson Packaging like a big family.

Every year she meets with each employee and asks them what their dream is. ‘Usually the people working on the machines have not been able to choose their own path,’ she says. For the few that seem discontent, she helps them find fulfillment in some other way, even if it means leaving the company.

Today 60% of Posson Packaging’s management team are women. This was not a deliberate strategy, however, when Sylvie first stepped into the company, she sensed a significant amount of discrimination against women in the workplace and felt that they had lost all their self-confidence, so took pains to change that.

Sylvie was recently interviewed for a ‘France 2’ report on the fact that statistically, companies are more profitable when managed by women, rather than by men. ‘With less money in hand, women tend to focus more on developing a company, and their management is based on trust. They never desire power for themselves, but seek out power to improve and develop a company. They look towards the future,’ she said. Sylvie’s aim is to ensure the company she has transformed in the past 17 years goes on after her. I Melonie Gault info - may / june - 35

s u cc e s s s to ry

Success is pure hard work – it’s not feminine or masculine

Delahaye Moving Thirty-six years ago, Elizabeth Delahaye moved to the UK and established her removals company, Delahaye Moving, capturing a niche sector of the market with her dedication, expertise and care, which extend well beyond the bounds of her business

I

t was only when Elisabeth Delahaye moved from her native Belgium to the UK in 1977 to set up her own removals company that she realised her English was ‘very minimal’, but she was undaunted by this or by the fact that she had two young children and was going it alone in the very male environment of removals. ‘I think it was more challenging for my competition,’ she comments wryly, although she did make a point of dressing like them in grey trousers and navy jackets so as not to stand out, and always signed herself as E. Delahaye in order to be taken seriously. ‘I’ve never taken advantage of the fact that I’m a woman,’ she stresses. ‘Success is pure hard work – it’s not feminine or masculine.’ Thirty-six years later she still works 16-hour days, starting at 7am having coffee with her removal men in the warehouse.

Elisabeth never imagined she would end up in the removals business, but ‘circumstances bring you to some crazy things,’ she says. She had studied Chemistry and worked in a laboratory for a large multinational. ‘They had lots of transport problems and because I spoke Dutch and French I could communicate easier with the people in transport. I came into contact with a completely new world.’ She was later to work in a removals partnership in Paris, and when that dissolved she made the decision to set up her own company in the UK. ‘It was only when I set up and managed the company that I realised I was different from the rest of the industry,’ Elisabeth observes. ‘Probably as a woman you give it a different tone – you want to care more, you want to give more service. I understand the woman

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of the house who has invested time in creating her home, and then these men come in and break it up and put it into boxes. You have to teach your workmen to understand this.’ Delahaye Moving thus evolved into the ‘Rolls Royce’ of removal companies, tapping into the niche market of high-end removals. ‘I never wanted to be a mass market product,’ Elisabeth admits. ‘Over 90% of my business comes from word-of-mouth referrals and I am always grateful to my clients for that.’

The company has grown in turnover every year, although Elisabeth is careful not to over extend. ‘We are quite unique in that we are 100% self-financed,’ she says, ‘so we can only grow slowly to maintain this status. Everything is fully owned – no credits, no leases. If we can’t afford it we can’t have it. Since the company’s creation we have recorded a profit, which makes our ‘working capital’ more important every year!

Opening new offices has start-up costs, but we slowly bring them to similar turnovers. In 2003, I purchased a company in France and integrated it into Delahaye Moving. That made a big difference in turnover which we have since maintained.’ Not having bank loans ‘gives less stress all round’, Elisabeth acknowledges.

‘Job security helps my employees perform better and they know that their actions are my publicity.’

Despite the fact that the recession and a shrinking expatriate market has hit the removals industry hard, Delahaye Moving, because of its very niche market operation and products, has not suffered, recording normal profits and even a slight increase in turnover.

s u cc e s s s to ry

Elisabeth is discreet about her clients, many of many employees doing a dangerous job and all the whom she knows personally. The company has laws – transport, health & safety, etc. – to heed. But developed particular expertise in the packing, moving I need to make sure that what we’ve promised will and storage of valuable art works – from marble statues happen.’ and the masters, to pieces by Anish Kapoor – for both art Modern technology is the biggest change Elisabeth collectors and galleries. ‘We are well known for working has seen in the removals industry in the past four in the very high-end art market and get to see the most decades. ‘I am of a generation where there were amazing pieces of art,’ she says. ‘I have temperatureno computers and when I started in this business I controlled store rooms for artworks, with special thought I had to learn programming.’ Which she did, security.’ She notes that while galleries see the art as in six months. No database program existed for a a business, for her private clients these are cherished removal company, so Elisabeth wrote her own in 1981 belongings. ‘It makes the work very interesting but to manage the work and warehouse – bought by other also very challenging – the pieces get bigger and more removal companies – and was involved in writing two elaborate and my workmen have to reinvent themselves updated iterations. To this day, the company has never every day.’ Many are longstanding employees who have outsourced any of its IT requirements or maintenance, become experts in their own right. and ‘we’ve saved an awful lot of money because of With the territory also come many unusual requests, it,’ Elisabeth remarks. ‘The success of our business but one of the most extraordinary was the removal of a is that I have learnt to do things myself, managed it dilapidated château in Bordeaux, France, stone by stone, and tried to motivate people to make it better,’ she to Washington, USA. ‘It was logistically something adds. ‘To keep a company lively and growing you have amazing, getting our trucks where to involve everybody – we can there were no roads for a start, and have whole meetings about how how do you explain it to customs?’ For a removals company like to move a particular picture. And She also mentions a treehouse, mine all the risks are there: all of my warehouses have video carved out of a massive redwood, links, so if workmen in the Paris we have massive financial that was transported from California warehouse have a problem, they investments in our care, to Bath, UK, complete with lizard can get advice from the other main many employees doing a that popped out of the container at operation managers in London, dangerous job and all the the other end. The more logistically Nice or New York.’ challenging the requests are, the At the crux of her business is laws to heed. But I need to more Elisabeth relishes them. the social aspect: ‘It must be in my make sure that what we’ve Wine storage is another of nature that this is what attracted me promised will happen Delahaye’s specialisms, and the to the business,’ Elisabeth says. ‘I love company has temperature- and people and I deal with them at both humidity-controlled warehouses where wine collections extremes of the spectrum. You see the whole human are housed. Elisabeth notes that her UK and American condition – their fears, their stresses, their vulnerabilities clients tend to buy their wine for investment, and never – and I try to help them without mothering them.’ She is touch it themselves, whereas her French clients’ wine is modest about what she has done but has been honoured for consumption – a client will call her up and request a by both the French and Belgian governments for her few bottles of a certain vintage for a dinner he is planning. business and charity work, which has involved youth The warehouse in Nice is known for storing wine for and educational projects in socially deprived areas. Many superyachts berthed in the south of France, which have of her workmen come from these environments – she limited space and less than ideal conditions for wine on employs them at 16 and trains them up. ‘They don’t always board. ‘This service has a cost, but my clients have asked have the best education or the right frame of mind, so to for it and are prepared to pay for it,’ Elisabeth says. get the workmen I need, I teach them how to be clean, Regardless of her client’s wealth Elisabeth always how to behave, how to talk. I have so many success stories tries to find the most reasonable solution. ‘My main within my company of people who would not otherwise thing is to find a way of doing an operation safely, so have had a chance, but who today are homeowners, are that no employee gets hurt, and nothing is broken. married with kids,’ she says. ‘My whole awareness of this When you do the washing up, accidents do happen, world, of the kids, of things we can all relate to, has shown and my men effectively ‘do the washing up’ twice. For me it is not all about money and fame. I can’t change the a removals company like mine all the risks are there: world, but I can change the lives of certain people, starting we have massive financial investments in our care, with those in my company.’ I KF info - may / june - 37

focus

Women in Business

W

omen in Business, as we discovered in the course of putting this Focus together, is a vast, multifaceted and complex subject, which would take volumes to properly address. The issue of gender equality starts long before women start work – in the home, in society and in education – and incredible changes have taken place, thanks to initiatives by governments, legislation, schools, lobbying groups and international forums like the Women’s Forum. But while women are technically on an equal footing in terms of education – more than half of university graduates are women - and most companies attest to the fact that their employee intakes are gender balanced, it is further up the corporate ladder that attrition starts. It was this area that we decided to focus on, starting at the top where the lack of women is starkly apparent and the subject of much media and political attention.

At the core of this is the realisation, to quote Gay Collins, Executive Chairman of MPH Communications, that ‘it’s a business issue, not a women’s issue.’

The Davies Report on Women on Boards (February 2011) opens with the statement: ‘At the current rate of change it will take over 70 years to achieve genderbalanced boardrooms in the UK’. Unequivocal about the business case for having strong female representation on boards and critical of the slow pace of change, the Report nevertheless does not recommend imposing quotas to achieve this, and instead espouses a businessled approach to achieve a 25% level by 2015, stemming from chairmen and chief executives of companies with the support of the corporate world, executive search firms and the government. France, on the other hand, has opted for a more proactive programme, setting legally binding quotas. The pros and cons of both are touched upon in some of the following articles. Opinions on the issue differ greatly. Many women we interviewed are not

in favour, regarding it as tokenism. ‘It would undermine the value of getting there and people would think you were filling some gender requirement,’ said Helena Kavanagh, Managing Director of JCDecaux. Others felt it was the only way to rectify the situation. Nathalie Gaveau, founder of Shopcade.com, called it ‘an evil remedy for a good cause’.

The main issues around supply and demand, such as the talent pipeline and subconscious bias, are well known and discussed in several articles. But there is also a multitude of complexities, not least of which are the structures of modern family life and society that are at odds with traditional business models. While many of the solutions lie within companies themselves, there is no getting away from the fact that women have to shoulder a double burden of work and family commitments. Every business woman we interviewed pointed to enabling factors beyond the corporate environment, among them supportive partners and the means to pay for home help or childcare.

While it is clear there is a long way to go, we should also not forget the progress that has been made within less than a generation, as Baroness Blackstone points out: ‘At the time of the Robbins Report in 1963, only 2% of women were at university. Today nearly 50% of young people go to university by the time they are 30 and more than half of them are women. If you look at the proportion of women in the professions – medicine, law, accountancy – there are more female entrants than male, and that is again a dramatic change. In business and in politics we’ve still got much further to go, but even in the business world there are some great role models of women chief executives of big companies and there are many, many successful women, not necessarily chief executives and not necessarily at the top of very large companies, doing fantastic jobs and this is a matter for celebration.’ I KF

focus contents Part One: Global Overview

40 The absence of women on boards – a ‘wicked’ problem: comparisons between France and the UK

51 Supporting female entrepreneurs 52 The men behind great women

43 The 30% Club: chairmen for change

53 Success secrets of dual-career couples

44 Balanced boardrooms are only one side of the coin

54 The Women’s Forum: an insider’s view

45 Current hot spots for women in business 46 It’s time to think, act and report on inclusion

Part Two: Interviews with women in business

55 Carolyn McCall on women and work

47 Between the glass ceiling and the sticky floor: subtle barriers

56 A word with Hélène Darroze

48 Gender diversity is an integral part of modernity

58 Women in business: performing the balancing act

49 The power of sponsorship in business

60 Creating company cultures where women flourish

50 The world needs science and science needs women

38 - info - may / june

wo m e n i n bu s i n e s s ti m e li n e

1842 UK Mines and Collieries Act prohibits all females from working in coal mines

1928 Representation of the Peoples Act gives British women the vote on the same terms as men

1878 London University opens to women

1929 Margaret Bondfield becomes the first woman cabinet minister in the UK

1880 French universities open to women 1890 Julie Chauvin is the first French woman to graduate with a law degree 1891 British women can take four weeks maternity leave 1903 Marie Curie is the first woman to win a Nobel Prize for Physics alongside her husband Pierre Curie

1932 Lilian Wyles becomes the first woman Chief Inspector in the British police force 1944 France gives the vote to women 1948 Dame Lilian Penson becomes the first woman vice-chancellor of a university (London) 1973 Stella Brummel (MD of Benford Ltd) is voted the first ‘Businesswoman of the Year’

1903 Launch of the Daily Mirror (newspaper for women, run by women)

1979 Margaret Thatcher is elected as Great Britain’s first female Prime Minister

1907 French married women are allowed to receive their own salary freely

1981 Baroness Young becomes the first woman leader of the British House of Lords

1909 Baroness de la Roche becomes the first fully qualified woman pilot

1984 The Equal Pay Act introduces equal pay for work of equal value in the UK

1913 Caroline Spurgeon becomes the first official female professor (of literature)

1991 Helen Sharman blasts off into space as Britain’s first astronaut

1918 Countess Constance Markiewicz is the first woman elected to the British House of Commons, but declines her seat

1991 Stella Rimington becomes the first female Director General of MI5

1918 Representation of the People Act gives British women over 30 the vote provided they or their husbands meet a property qualification 1919 Viscountess Nancy Astor is the first woman to be elected and take her seat in the UK Parliament 1920 French women can unionise themselves without their husbands’ permission, even if they are not yet allowed to vote 1927 Ethel Snowden becomes the first woman governor of the BBC 1928 Amelia Earhart is the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic

1991 Edith Cresson is elected as France’s first female Prime Minister 1997 Marjorie Scardino is the first woman to head a FTSE 100 company (Pearson) 1997 Joan Ruddock becomes the first full-time Minister for Women in the UK 2006 The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP becomes Britain’s first female Foreign Secretary 2007 Ségolene Royal is the first French woman to be nominated as presidential candidate by a major party 2011 Christine Lagarde becomes the first female MD of the International Monetary Fund, having been the first woman to hold the post of Finance & Economy Minister of a G7 country (France) in 2007

info - may / june - 39

focus Part One: Global Overview

The absence of women on boards – a ‘wicked’ problem: comparisons between France and the UK Dr Savita Kumra, senior lecturer at Brunel Business School and International Research Fellow, Said Business School, University of Oxford, looks at the gender imbalance on boards across the EU and hones in on the different approaches taken by France and the UK to address the issue

I

’m not sure if it’s just me, but I get a feeling of déjà vu every time I see a headline decrying the lack of women in board positions. Most recently focus has been on the dearth of female directors on boards across the EU and the debate centres on whether a legally imposed or voluntary approach should be adopted to address the issue. What is clear is that hitherto progress of women on corporate boards across the EU has been painfully slow and constitutes what Rittel and Webber* would term a ‘wicked’ problem, whose solution is as elusive as its continued presence as an issue is frustrating. In January 2012, EU data showed that women represented only 13.7% of board positions in large listed companies. They represent even fewer Chairwomen or Board Presidents; constituting just 3.2% of such appointments. This is against a backdrop of women representing 60% of graduates across the EU and entering key occupations in almost equal numbers as their male counterparts. However, as progress is made up the ladder disproportionately more women disappear, until we reach the top where their presence is negligible.

Two EU countries that have decided to address board-level gender imbalance in divergent ways, are France and the UK. In line with the recommendations from Viviane Reding, EU Justice Minister, France has opted to implement a quota system on large boards. The UK by contrast have strongly opposed legally binding quotas and opted instead for a voluntary approach. The approach of both countries is outlined below.

In France a voluntary approach had been tried, and ‘disappointing’ progress reported. They thus accepted the arguments advanced in respect of the benefits to be gained by gender-balanced boards; key amongst which were: • Diversity provides a broader perspective better able to reflect the customer base and workforce of companies • Through diversity, boardroom cultures are changed

for the better, with greater challenge evident, a broader spectrum of ideas accessed and less likelihood of ‘groupthink’ • Female board members can provide role models for other women both outside and within the organisation and personify organisational commitment to gender equality and fairness, with associated benefits in respect of both recruitment and retention of key talent.

France opted for a legal quota in January 2011 for publicly traded or non-listed companies that have more than 500 employees or revenue of more than €50 million. A quota is a legal mechanism requiring companies to ensure their boards are constituted of a specified proportion of the gender presently least represented and are often enforced by sanctions to punish non-compliance. The legally imposed sanction that has been adopted in France is non-payment of fees to directors in companies that do not comply with the quota. The quota is to be introduced in two stages: a 20% target by 2014 and a legally binding proportion of 40% board representation by 2017. Following introduction of these new regulations, France has reported the highest level of improvement in numbers of women at board level across the EU. French companies have responded with enthusiasm and they have exceeded their 20% target two years early. Figures show the proportion of women on the boards of French companies in the CAC 40 index in January 2012 increased by 10% to 22.3%, up from 12.3% in October 2010. This is illustrated in the figures, which charts the percentage change of women on corporate boards across the EU between October 2010 and January 2012.

In the UK, a voluntary approach has been adopted, following the recommendations of a governmentcommissioned report by Lord Davies. He recommended

* Rittel, H. & Webber, M. (1973) ‘Dilemmas in a general theory of planning’, Policy Sciences, 4, pp. 155-69.

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that FTSE 100 companies should aim for a target of 25% female representation by 2015. He also recommended that interim targets should be set for 2013, and that FTSE 350 companies should publicly commit to the numbers of women they planned to appoint to their boards by this date. Though some progress has been reported, with a rise from 12.5% of women on boards in 2011 to 15.6% in 2012; only 33 FTSE 100 companies have provided a public commitment to the number of women they aim to appoint to their boards in 2013 and 2015. In aiming to support the retention of a voluntary approach, it was argued that business would respond more willingly to an approach they develop, lead and implement themselves, rather than having external quotas imposed on them with which they have to comply. Key arguments against quotas included: • That it is a relatively ‘blunt’ instrument, addressing the symptoms rather than the root causes of lack of gender diversity at board level • Quotas can be viewed as patronising or tokenistic and risk undermining the perception of women in senior positions and their right to be there.

in organisations by having a ‘surplus of men’. A key issue, indicated by many research studies, is that companies where women make up a sizable proportion of senior management are more successful than those without them (even if there is as yet no proof of a causal link).

There is also evidence to suggest that male-dominated boards, lacking the benefit of challenge and a broader range of perspectives, were one of the main causes of the financial collapse experienced throughout Europe and beyond. Her view is that in order to change prevailing orthodoxy, energy needs to be spent examining the systems and structures evident within organisations that underpin the figures we perennially report and pore over. It will only be action directed at surfacing, challenging and correcting these systemic organisational processes that will lead to a change in leadership and governance structures. As ethicists amongst us would point out; it is insufficient to claim the presence of just procedures if those procedures do not in their turn produce just outcomes. Explanations for the gender split at executive and non-executive director level given by the overwhelming majority of males holding these positions – ‘our processes are fair, there just aren’t the women out there with the right However, as the EU commission noted, observable skills and experience’; or the ever popular, ‘it is just a change in female representation at board level has matter of time and women will come through’ – can no thus far only been achieved by legal means, i.e. the imposition of quotas. longer be accepted without deeper analysis. If processes were truly ‘fair’ then the system would correct itself.

It is thus evident, as with many ‘wicked’ problems, that perhaps a way to approach its solution is to reframe The meritorious would be rewarded and talent would be recognised in all its forms. the problem itself. I attended a seminar a couple of Policy responses that include mentoring, profileyears ago, and an Australian colleague struck me with raising and working with women in respect of her novel approach to framing the usual lament; rather networking are certainly worthwhile, though beginning than focusing on the lack of women in senior positions, she talked about the problems and challenges apparent at the VERY senior level may be limiting the talent pool unduly. However, simply working with women is clearly Figure 1 - Women and men on corporate boards in the EU, 2003-2012 only part of the task. Working with everyone in senior Men Woman 120 % organisational positions has to be the way forward. Challenging 80 % taken-for-granted assumptions, questioning decision-making 60 % frameworks and presenting alternative paradigms is the 40 % way to truly achieve a shift in thinking – we thus now have a 13.7% 13.6% 20 % 11.8% 9.8% 9.7% 9.0% 10.3% 10.7% 10.9% unique opportunity. Across the (+1.7pp) (+0.1pp) (+0.5pp) (+0.7pp) (-0.0pp) (+0.5pp) (+0.5pp) (+0.2pp) (+0.9pp) 8.5% EU we have seen that opposing 0% models have been adopted to 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Jan 2012 address the problem. It will be interesting to observe which Source: European Commission, Database on women and men in decision-making Note: Data covers all 27 EU Member States except in 2003 when data for CZ, LT, MT & PL are not available. of them proves most fruitful Small discrepancies between the percentage shown in consecutive years and the change in percentage points derive and brings about the desired from rounding. Data are normally collected in the final quarter of the year but the data for 2012 was collected in January, just 3 months after the 2011 data, and should therefore not be treated as part of the annual time series. change. I info - may / june - 41

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FTSE 100 LeaderBoard

FTSE 100 companies

1. Burberry Group plc

38 %

»

17.3% women directors (up from 12.5%*)

2. Diageo plc

36 %

»

21.8% women Non-Executive Directors (up from 15.6%*)

3. Capita plc

33 %

»

5.8% women Executive Directors (up from 5.5%*)

4. GlaxoSmithKline plc

33 %

5. Standard Life plc

33 %

»

6 all-male boards (down from 21*)

6. Whitbread plc

31 %

»

34% of board appointments since 1 March 2012 have been women

7. BT Group plc

30 %

8. Tate & Lyle plc

30 %

»

43% of new Non-Executive Directors are women

9. Aberdeen Asset Management plc

29 %

»

8% of new Executive Directors are women

10. Morrison (Wm.) Supermarkets plc

29 %

»

86 more board seats held by women needed to reach Lord Davies 25% target

11. Sage Group plc

29 %

12. BAe Systems plc

27 %

13. Intercontinental Hotels Group plc

27 %

14. Lloyds Banking Group plc

27 %

15. Pearson plc

27 %

16. Tesco plc

27 %

17. Admiral Group plc

25 %

18. AstraZeneca plc

25 %

FTSE 250 companies »

13.2% women directors (up from 7.8%*)

»

16.4% women Non-Executive Directors

»

5.4% women Executive Directors

»

67 (26.8%) all-male boards (down from 52.4%*)

»

36% of board appointments since 1 March 2012 have been women

»

44% of new Non-Executive Directors are women

19. British American Tobacco plc

25 %

»

10% of new Executive Directors are women

20. Centrica plc

25 %

21. Experian plc

25 %

22. HSBC Holdings plc

25 %

23. Kingfisher plc

25 %

* Women on Boards, February 2011, Lord Davies of Abersoch. Figures relate to 2010.

History 1999 - 2013 FTSE 100, % women directors 20

17.4 17.3 15.0

15 11.7

12.2

12.5

9.4

10 6.2 5

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

As of February 28, 2013 Source: Professional Boards Forum BoardWatch. Data kindly provided by BoardEx and The Female FTSE Report.

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2012

2013

Source: BoardWatch. Data provided by BoardEx 1 March 2013

KEY FIGURES

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The 30% Club: chairmen for change Set up in 2010, the 30% Club works with chairmen and business leaders to achieve 30% women on boards by 2015 and to ensure this is meaningful and sustainable by improving gender balance at all company levels. Gay Collins, Executive Chairman of MHP Communications and a member of the Club’s Steering Committee, told INFO how it is working towards this objective

How does the 30% Club drive change in the gender composition of corporate boards in the UK?

The 30% Club is a mind-set rather than a membership club. We think that the way to really effect change is for the chairmen of companies to come to the belief that a diverse board is a better board. The Club is run by a Steering Committee Gay Collins comprising women with full time jobs in the City or business who have different roles: some focus on chairmen recruitment, some on PR, some on events, some on the investor community. We had some very senior enlightened chairmen involved from day one, and the number has now grown to 62 representing 65 boards.

How do you go about recruiting chairmen and what motivates them to join?

We talk to them and get them to think about what makes a good board. The Davies Report put more focus on the make-up of boards, which have tended to be men with similar experiences and job roles, and therefore lack diversity of thinking. As more chairmen buy into the concept of diverse boards making better decisions they spread the word about it, and there is a knock-on effect. Our investor sub-committee is made up of fund managers and pension schemes who promote greater scrutiny of the companies in which they invest in terms of the effectiveness of their boards. Chairmen of all-male boards are now thinking how they are going to ensure they are not, even if it’s from a reputational angle.

What other initiatives is the 30% Club working on?

We encourage head-hunters to do more research to find female talent – good women who are perfectly capable of being on a board even if they are not on one already. Many of them used to put together shortlists of people who were already on similar company boards and therefore always ended up with men. Head-hunters now recognise that it is a business differentiator if they are investing time in finding good board-ready women. And then we have an executive pipeline initiative, which encourages companies to improve

numbers of executive level women through mentoring, for example. We commissioned McKinsey to analyse the gender mix within professional services firms to pinpoint where companies are losing people. Companies tend not to look at their gender mix at different levels and therefore don’t know how to set targets or create change.

The percentage of women on FTSE 100 boards has recently dropped slightly. Is this an aberration or a sign that momentum has slowed?

Although there is the odd month that does not move in the right direction, there is no doubt that the momentum is there. 43% of FTSE 100 non-executive director appointments since 1 March 2012 have gone to women (and 44% in the FTSE 250) – this is up from a 13% rate of appointments in 2010, so there has been a massive acceleration in the pace of change due to realisation it’s a business issue not a women’s issue. Hearts and minds are behind the rationale for proper diversity and the benefits that this can bring to a company – it makes so much sense if a board and companies at a senior level reflect their employee and customer base. But change can take time, particularly as boards are getting smaller rather than bigger, with fewer executives.

How can business culture be changed?

This is not just a ‘women’s issue’ that needs to be fixed – it is a business-led conundrum that needs to be properly grasped by companies because ultimately the cost of losing good people, of which many are women, is huge.

It’s about men and women working together to effect change. If all companies carry on in the way they always have, this drain of talent will continue. Companies need to change if they want to be attractive to and retain a different generation of workers – not just women. It’s about having a different way of approaching work and judging input – not just counting people’s value by whether they are sitting at their desk. It is not all about companies adapting to women – it is about adapting to modern life and practices. I KF info - may / june - 43

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Balanced boardrooms are only one side of the coin While there is much focus on changing the gender composition of boardrooms, organisations need to look at policies that nurture and retain female talent at all levels, writes Emmanuelle Ries, Partner at Miller Rosenfalck

T

here is almost universal recognition across Europe that we need more women at the top of business and banking. Research shows that gender diversity on boards results in better corporate performance on every measure, including finance and that maledominated cultures in the top echelons of banking and business created a mentality of excessive risk taking that contributed to the banking crisis.

In France, the aim of increasing gender diversity at the top was relatively easily translated into legislation on 27 January 2011 introducing a quota of 20% to be achieved by 2014 and 40% to be achieved by 2017 of non-executive directors in companies employing more than 500 workers and with revenues of more than €50 million. France now counts 25% of women board members of listed companies – 27% of non-executive directors but only 8.4% of executive directors. There are as yet no women CEOs of listed companies in France.

In the UK, there are 18.8 % women board members – 22.9% of non-executive directors are women and 11.1% of executive directors are women. 6.4 % of CEOs of FTSE 100 companies are women.

Gender balance in Europe’s boardrooms according to the latest statistics is rising…but at a glacial pace: a 1.9 percentage point increase from October 2010 to January 2012 (compared to a long-term average rise over the last decade of 0.6 percentage points per year). In the UK the rate of change is around 3% per year when in France, the rate of change rose to 25% in 2012, making the case for the European Commission’s proposal in November 2012 for a directive to speed progress towards gender balanced boardrooms.

The argument in favour of quotas is that the current pace of change can only be increased if quotas are introduced. Reasons cited to resist quotas range from state

interference to paternalism and tokenism to concerns that promotion must be seen to be on merit alone.

The proposed European Directive sets a minimum objective of a 40% presence of female non-executive directors in publicly listed companies by 2020. To achieve this, companies will be required to apply preestablished, neutral criteria in making appointments and companies will have to appoint a female candidate in circumstances where there are two equally qualified candidates of both sexes (unless an objective assessment tips the balance in favour of the other candidate). Companies will also be required to set themselves individual, self-regulatory targets for 2020 regarding the representation of both sexes among executive directors.

In Britain, the government, following the Davies Report, is taking a voluntary approach to quotas, urging 25% female presence in boardrooms by 2015 for FTSE 100 companies. The pace of change has accelerated this year but what statistics also show is that outside the boardroom the flow of women coming up through the ranks is not growing.

So what is clear is that legislation or self-regulation may change the composition of boardrooms but if we are to change the culture of work for women and ensure there is a pool of talent to choose from for companies faced with applying quotas or appointing women to top jobs, then, boardroom quotas need to go hand-inhand with policies that support equal opportunities at work, at all levels. Promotion prospects come at just the time women start to have families and this needs to be factored in by society to implement better provision for childcare and meaningful family-friendly workplaces to make sure that talented women last long enough to make it to the top. I

UK

FRANCE

Female board members of listed companies

18.8%

25%

Female non-executive directors

22.9%

27%

Female executive directors

11.1%

8.4%

CEOs of listed companies

6.4% (FTSE 100 companies)

none Source: Europa

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Current hot spots for women in business Robin Jeffcott and Joanna Powis Reed Smith LLP

The dangers of workplace banter • Workplace banter/loose talk remains a very common cause of sex discrimination and harassment claims in the UK. • The line between what is acceptable and what is offensive is a fine one.

• Conduct may amount to harassment whether or not offense was

Changes to family friendly legislation

intended.

• Employers may be liable for harassment that takes place outside of the

• The UK Government plans to overhaul parental leave in 2015

workplace (e.g. at an office Christmas party or client event).

by introducing a new system of flexible parental leave.

• An up-to-date equal opportunities policy is key to managing the risk

• It is proposed that parents will be able to share 50 out of 52

of this issue.

weeks of statutory maternity leave and 37 weeks of statutory

• Employees should be given regular training on the risks of workplace

maternity pay.

banter/loose talk and understand the consequences of breaching equal

• The changes will give parents greater flexibility to base

opportunities principles.

• It is imperative that employees are told to consider their audience

childcare arrangements on their personal circumstances. This is a welcome departure from the notion that mothers must

as the bigger the audience, the more likely it is that there will be

take on the primary child-carer role.

someone in the group who takes offence.

• The changes will require significant amendments to employment policies and practices and will, inevitably, cause resourcing issues for smaller employers.

• The challenge will be getting employers to buy into the reforms and support parents in their choices for flexible parental leave.

Equal pay in the spotlight • This issue has been in the public eye for a long time.

• All the studies seem to show that there remains a significant gender pay gap in the UK. • The UK Government has stated that it is committed to dealing with the gender pay gap.

• The current proposal is to give Employment Tribunals the power to order companies who lose equal pay claims to carry out equal pay audits.

• This proposal aims to give equal pay legislation more teeth, without increasing the day-to-day regulation employers are subject to. An implementation date is currently awaited.

• How effective compulsory equal pay audits will be at bridging the gender pay gap remains to be seen.

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It’s time to think, act and report on inclusion UK-based accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO LLP, has signed up to the UK Government’s Think, Act, Report initiative. BDO’s Senior Partner, Mark Bomer, explains

A

ccording to research conducted by McKinsey & Company for the 30% Club, men working in UK accountancy firms are three times more likely to make partner than women. That can’t continue.

That there are now three women running FTSE 100 businesses is a sign things are moving in the right direction – but very, very slowly. Greater transparency about, and industry collaboration on, these issues is the best way to address them.

This is what the Think, Act, Report initiative aims to do. The voluntary framework supports and encourages organisations to improve gender equality, including recruitment, retention, promotion and pay. It encourages companies to share progress in promoting gender equality, whether they are just starting on an inclusion journey or if they already have action plans and reporting mechanisms in place.

Research shows that companies with more diverse boards achieve higher sales and higher returns. What better business incentive. I believe it also makes our business a more attractive place to work, aiding recruitment, development and retention. Importantly, signing up to Think, Act, Report also keeps us challenged to continually think about how we create an inclusive working environment for all our people.

Research by SHL, the global recruitment and talent assessment company, suggests men in leadership positions are motivated by power and fear of failure, whereas women are motivated by a constructive working atmosphere and receiving recognition. We need to be attuned to such differences.

But businesses like ours can’t only think about differences in gender. We need to ensure we have the right policies in place for anyone and everyone. It may be unusual for an accountancy firm, but we are behaviour-led, not led by numbers or quotas. Our focus is on encouraging the right culture where people feel empowered and where policies and processes support them, rather than bind them. We know that if we get this wrong we will lose talent. Our proposition is to deliver ‘exceptional client service’, and this relies on talented, free-thinking people with imagination and initiative. This doesn’t come in one mould and requires a working environment that is fair and allows people to achieve their potential in a way that is unique to them. That’s why we’re proud to have added our 3,500 people to the over a million UK employees who work in organisations signed up to Think, Act, Report. Others would do well to consider the same. I

UK board diversity at a glance • Women now account for 17.3% of FTSE 100 board directors compared with 12.5% in February 2011, an increase of 40%.

• Companies with three or more women board directors achieve return on equity 45% higher than the average company.* • More gender-diverse companies (defined as the top quartile companies in terms of proportion of women on their executive committees) exceed operating results (EBIT) delivered by those companies with no women on their senior management teams by an average 56%.** • In the UK, women are expected to own 60% of all personal wealth by 2025.

• There are more female millionaires than male in the age range 18-44.

• Women represent 60% of university graduates in Europe and the US. * The Bottom Line: Corporate Performance and Women’s Representation on Boards, Catalyst ** Women Matter: Gender Diversity, a Corporate Performance Driver, McKinsey & Company

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Between the glass ceiling and the sticky floor: subtle barriers The lack of supporting mentors, powerful advocates and insightful role models as well as the exclusion from male-dominated networks have been well documented as impeding women’s progression to the top. Yet, we have only recently come to realise that our performance and evaluation systems are deeply gendered in their nature, writes Dr Claudia Jonczyk-Sédès, Associate Professor of Organisation Studies at ESCP Europe Business School

R

ecent scholarship has demonstrated that meritbias, which are deeply ingrained in workplace culture based pay practices in particular may fail to achieve and society at large, while unintentional, explain why gender neutral outcomes, showing that women and highly qualified women enter professional service firms minorities (in the same job and work unit, with the same such as consulting, law and auditing firms in nearly equal numbers as men, yet do not make it to partner supervisor, and the same human capital) received lower level in important numbers: The implicitly held image salary increases than white men, even after they are given the same performance evaluation score (Castilla, of the ‘ideal leader’ implies the need to fit a prevailing 2008). What seems even more puzzling is that when masculine model of success for promotion to partnership. an organisation is explicitly presented as meritocratic, Interestingly, even if women adapt male patterns of behaviour and try to fit with the image of the ideal worker individuals in managerial positions favour a male employee over an equally qualified female employee by they are likely to face backlash due to gender stereotypes. awarding him a larger monetary reward, a finding that Women who affirm themselves can be seen as abrasive instead of assertive, arrogant instead of self-confident, has become to be known as the ‘meritocracy paradox’. and self-promoting instead of entrepreneurial. Research Looking for the root causes of these unintended behaviours, recent evidence suggests that gender biases shows that in contrast to their male colleagues women are automatically activated as soon as who negotiate hard for themselves evaluators learn the sex of a person. are evaluated negatively.

Are there any remedies? Attempts These biases lead to unintentional Women who affirm to decrease the role of gender biases and implicit discrimination by themselves can be seen in the evaluation of candidates have triggering unconscious schematas as abrasive instead of that are deeply rooted in early included blind evaluation procedures assertive, arrogant instead (e.g. the gender composition of top education and our own upbringing. of self-confident, and orchestras only started to change From a very young age, parents and self-promoting instead of teachers signal and convey to us, considerably with the introduction of entrepreneurial. sometimes explicitly, but mostly ‘blind auditions’), and gender quotas on hiring and promotion committees. implicitly what is seen as appropriate To avoid gender stereotyping in promotion decisions behaviour. ‘Being a good girl’ is ascribed to be obedient, and job assignments candidate evaluations ‘by the friendly and helpful, yet not to be competitive, assertive or ‘too smart’. Other attributions made are bunch’ have proven to be effective: employees are more that men are better at maths and women are better likely to be selected based on their performance when evaluated jointly and more likely to be selected based on at verbal exercises. It is much later that these deeply their gender when evaluated separately. While I am not a ingrained mental models come into play when we evaluate workplace performance, leading to practices fan of quotas it seems clear that as long as we do not see and patterns that favour men and create structural a critical number of women in leadership positions we do not associate leadership with women. And without career blocks for women.

Stereotype-based beliefs that women need to be women in high places, younger women lack the role protected, sometimes labelled as ‘benevolent sexism’ models and mentors to help them succeed. In any case, have been identified for limiting women’s exposure to organisations will need to think about the ‘genderness’ of their HR practices and their staff composition. I challenging assignments. Such subtle forms of gender info - may / june - 47

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Gender diversity is an integral part of modernity Traditional company cultures and policies have to change in order to reflect and fit in with modern life, of which gender diversity is an integral part, argues Julia Massies, finance director of Pernod Ricard UK

I

t could seem anachronistic to be writing about gender diversity in the 21st century, but sadly, the facts are there to remind us that it is still extremely topical. I went through school and university largely without needing to consider the issue, albeit my Oxford College had only started accepting women a little over 10 years before I joined. Within the workplace, however, the gender imbalance is inescapable. Work is still generally very traditional and does not reflect either the marketplace or the evolving community. So, what needs to change?

Companies have a prime role to play to ensure their policies cater for the diversity existing within the workforce. Research shows the expectations of Generation Y to be very different from those of the baby boomers, with significant emphasis on workJulia Massies life balance. 70% expect at least some flexibility and they are more likely to switch if their employer is Beyond Human Resources policies, gender not offering this, with a turnover rate double that of diversity is a matter of culture. It is often confusing baby boomers. By 2020, Generation Y will represent for both women and men to define women’s ‘place’ the majority of the workforce, so firms need to in a company. There is much analysis about male adapt now to attract and retain the best. This trend versus female traits, and what behaviours a woman is an opportunity, not a threat. is supposed to display. This can Generation Y want to adapt when lead to certain women being seen Gender diversity is not as ‘behaving like men’, or making and where they work to be most about wanting equality or productive, not necessarily to themselves scarce in a culture they work less. Flexible arrangements do not feel comfortable in. Being to be ‘the same as men’, it is that offer better work/life balance unapologetically feminine does about equal opportunity. not mean being girlie, or seductive, for dual-income households mean women can return to work and / or or very sensitive… Surely it is time demand more challenging roles, hence adding to the to move away from the stereotypes, and that is what talent pool. The onus is then on their employers to diversity is about. While women may tend to be more people-focused and risk-averse, they are – just ensure they are given a fair chance of success…

Within Pernod Ricard UK, we have successfully like men – individuals, who shouldn’t be expected introduced some flexibility: flexible start and finish to behave all the same. Gender diversity is not about times, part-time and work from home. Partly as a result, wanting equality or to be ‘the same as men’, it is about equal opportunity. Many young women simply wish 45% of the employee base and 33% of senior managers to be offered the scope to manage their personal lives are women, and most women in senior roles return to work after maternity leave. Of course, flexibility relies while progressing their careers, and to be themselves on mutual trust: with clear parameters and flexibility in the workplace. This can be facilitated by companies at very limited cost, for significant payback. I on both sides, it enhances productivity.

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The power of sponsorship in business Sponsorship has been identified as a key way to develop female talent in a business. Louise Brett, Partner in Consulting & lead sponsor partner for Women in Leadership, and Ama AfrifaKyei, Assistant Manager, Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion, Talent Brand discuss Deloitte’s sponsorship programme and how it works to facilitate a more diverse leadership culture

I

nvesting in an effective meetings and be an advocate on sponsorship programme is decisions about an individual’s beneficial to our business. The career and a willingness to sponsor and the sponsored both put their reputation alongside stand to win from this type of the sponsored individual is relationship. Success will be important, as is the need to talk established largely by monitoring openly about their participation and evaluating the progress of in sponsorship.

Louise Brett & Ama Afrifa-Kyei sponsored employees.

With the reputation of For sponsorship to be effective, it is important it is its participants so crucial to its success, effective embedded into all of our talent management processes sponsorship requires sponsors to have a strong sense and discussed openly at roundtable benchmarking of belief combined with a willingness to offer support meetings and during individual career conversations. by making connections. In addition, they must also seek Another element crucial to the success of sponsorship to identify and provide access to the right opportunities is clear communication on the criteria for sponsors and help facilitate further success of the individual by and sponsored talent, as well as openness about the aiding them in the expansion of professional networks. variable longevity of these relationships. To qualify Perhaps the most crucial however, is that sponsors are for sponsorship, candidates must be recognised high willing and committed to enforce their role to give their performers at senior manager and director level, with vote of confidence when necessary. the potential to develop their career to partner level.

Sponsored individuals are expected to deliver Those with a strong track record, proven delivery of results to their sponsor and recognise that success will achievements, relationships and quality as well as require them to work hard for their sponsor; that their recognition by their peers, will be eligible for the professional reputations are linked for the duration of sponsored talent programme. their relationship and must reflect well on the sponsor Patrick Maher, partner and leading the sponsorship and are expected to remain open and honest at all times. programme for corporate finance, said: ‘Sponsorship in Though sponsorship success stories are sometimes a large company like Deloitte is crucial to help people limited to the advantages for the sponsored individual, progress to the next level of their career and for us to engaging and participating with such relationships have an inclusive and diverse leadership. Retaining can be of equal advantage to the sponsor, in securing a female talent is a key priority for us, and we plan to legacy and expanding on their own leadership qualities. support as many women through the new sponsorship Both parties are expected to place a high priority on this programme as possible. The role of a sponsor aims relationship. Thus participants of sponsorship remain to bring out the best in a person – what they already invested throughout. do well in their career and elements that could be Louise Brett says: ‘Encouraging women through a expanded upon to show their full potential. We want sponsor relationship is a great way for us to understand these relationships to be successful and beneficial to what is needed to help a woman progress her career to both parties, and so each relationship will be flexible the next level. Internal research has shown us that there and open to change at any time to suit both.’ are a number of issues that can stand in a woman’s way, Of equal importance, is the criterion for the sponsor, whether they are personal or work related, and having who must be in a position of influence within the a sponsor to help guide and push them forward should company. They must have a credible voice as well as being help increase the number of women at the top of Deloitte, a decision maker within the relevant part of the business. resulting in an increasingly diverse leadership team and An ability to truly commit to attend performance review continuing business success.’I info - may / june - 49

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The world needs science and science needs women To redress the global imbalance of female scientists L’Oreal partnered with UNESCO to create a programme to support women in their scientific careers. Katy Gandon, Head of External Affairs L’Oreal UK & Ireland describes its implementation and impact

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ccording to the OECD, in many countries girls have caught up with or surpassed boys in science proficiency at school. However this level of participation of women in science is not retained into the workplace and statistics show that only 32% employed scientists and engineers in the EU are in fact women. This is even lower in the UK where women make up just 12.3% per cent of all employees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations and just 9.3% of all fulltime professors teaching STEM disciplines.

L’Oréal and UNESCO founded the L’Oréal UNESCO For Women In Science (FWIS) international programme 15 years ago to address this imbalance globally, on the premise that ‘the world needs science and science needs women’. The FWIS programme supports women in varying stages of their careers by providing five women, one from each continent, with up to $100,000 for their research each year and also awards international and national Fellowships. Since it was founded in 1998, the programme has honoured 77 Award Laureates (including two who have gone on to win the Nobel Prize), and supported over 1,700 Fellows from 108 countries.

The L’Oréal UNESCO UK and Ireland ‘Fellowships For Women In Science’ (FWIS) were launched in January 2007, and are run in partnership with L’Oréal and the National Commission for UNESCO, the Irish National Committee for UNESCO and the Royal Society of Great Britain. Each year, four fellowships of £15,000 are offered to outstanding female postdoctoral researchers.

Winners may choose to spend their Fellowship on buying scientific equipment or paying for childcare costs or indeed whatever they may need to continue their research. Since the UK and Ireland FWIS programme started, L’Oréal has awarded a total of £420,000 to a network of 28 Fellows.

Dr Emily Flashman from the University of Oxford, who was one of the winners of the 2011 fellowship for her research into the adaptation of oxygen-sensing enzymes in times of stress to help develop cancer treatments, commented: ‘I spent the fellowship money on a machine that allows me to monitor how quickly my enzymes react with oxygen. It has really helped our research make 50 - info - may / june

Winners with their certificates

progress, as well as opening up new areas of research for me through collaborations.’

The programme not only awards promising female scientists financial support, but has evolved into an important platform for inspiring future generations of female scientists by giving women a public voice and forum to speak out for science. FWIS Fellowship events provide support, training, and vital networking opportunities for female scientists in the UK. Through such events, FWIS Fellows make valuable friendships and connections that have led to interesting collaborations, publications and wider appreciation of their work.

Dr Heather Whitney from the University of Bristol, another fellowship winner from 2011, commented: ‘I’ve done things I would never have dared done before, such as speaking at the Cheltenham Science Festival and a Government Science Conference. It has given me new opportunities for research, science engagement and more confidence. This led to me being offered a permanent position at Bristol in March’.

The success of FWIS in the UK is perhaps best summed up by Soapbox Science, an annual event set up by two FWIS fellows in partnership with L’Oréal. The event is held on London’s Southbank every summer, and invites leading female scientists to speak in public about their work. Now in its third year, the event has received over 60 applications from female scientists wishing to take part, illustrating a new found enthusiasm for female scientists to inspire a new generation by telling their story. I

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Supporting female entrepreneurs In 2006 Cartier launched an international competition to encourage female entrepreneurs in the start-up phase of business. Christine Borgoltz Halff, Cartier’s International Communications Director describes how the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards work and Kresse Wressling, the 2012 Laureate for Europe gives her testimony

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t all started with a proposal to be involved in the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society. We asked ourselves: what do women need that we could bring, on a long-term basis, to improve their economic status? Across the globe, women continue to struggle to be acknowledged as entrepreneurs and business leaders. Access to funding, networks and mentorships are major barriers that stand in their way.

As a company with a majority of female staff and management, we knew this was where we could act.

Economic empowerment and employment are the

“Elvis and Kresse was established in 2005 to solve a single problem – to rescue London’s decommissioned fire hoses from being sent to landfill by creating something out of this hardy, but beautiful material. We started with a single belt and now have over 25 pieces – luxury accessories from handbags to iPad covers. Beyond this we wanted to create sustainable solutions for other waste materials and also give back 50% of our profits to charities associated with the waste materials we use.

Fire hose is generally decommissioned when it is too damaged to repair. As fire hoses have a hard life, fighting fires and saving lives, we are able to predict a continued supply well into the future.

We also reclaim 12 other interesting niche waste materials that we have discovered over the years, such as parachute silk lining, fire-hose couplings coffee sacks, tea sacks, closed cell foam, shoe boxes and scaffolding. As tens of millions of tonnes of waste continue to go to landfill each year in the UK we don’t fear running out of raw materials to innovate with. Whilst I find different types of waste and opportunities to use the waste, my business partner James Henrit, alias Elvis, designs the products. They are made at our own site in the UK and factory in Istanbul.

Our turnover has grown between 30-100% every year, as has profitability. We have outgrown three workshops and are now buying our fourth. We went from using two craftspeople to teams of up to 50.

For us, however, the best measure of success is the

true drivers of progress and change. Women-led firms frequently advocate flexibility, social interest and benefits for the community.

Each year, together with our partners McKinsey & Company, INSEAD business school and the Women’s Forum, we support six Laureates with international visibility, networking opportunities, a US$20,000 grant and, above all, one year of full coaching. This year is the 7th edition on our journey through women’s initiatives.

It’s a real thrill to be part of this ever-growing network of women working for change. I

Kresse Wressling receiving her award

hundreds of tonnes of waste we have saved.

We sell on our own site www.elvisandkresse.com and at select boutiques and retailers worldwide. Our customer base is diverse – some are drawn by the design, others by our environmental commitments and others love how we support fire service personnel through the Fire Fighters Charity.

We are also venturing into collaborations, two of which are launching next month. We have designed a fire hose watch strap for Bremont and fire hose shoes with Oliver Sweeney.

The Cartier program of mentorship and support helped us to shape and fund our growth. Winning was also a fantastic validation of the quality of our work, it has been amazing to be recognised by a leader in luxury.” I info - may / june - 51

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The men behind great women The number of female breadwinners has increased sixfold in the past 40 years. Myriam O’Carroll, a media consultant specialising in women’s issues, speaks to one and the stay-at-home partner of another to gain insights on the dynamics of such relationships and how they work

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emale breadwinners are children instead of a mum has no considered to be women who effect on them. ‘Kids are happy out-earn their partners, usually as long as the one being home bringing more than 50% of the is happy too,’ she claims. She household revenue. It does not urges that young women should account for single women and realise that ‘they may well partner single mothers who, by definition, with someone earning less’, as are also the main providers in more females graduate from the household. The number of universities each year. Women are female breadwinners in the UK also becoming the number one has dramatically increased – from customers, controlling the main Mercedes Erra & Jean-Paul Valz being only 4% in 1970 to reaching ‘voting’ purchasing decisions in a an amazing figure of 24% today. household. As a result, Suzanne Suzanne Doyle-Morris is a proud female finds that smart companies start looking at designing breadwinner, happy to be the main provider of the products that are good for women … not just pink! family income, while her husband is the carer of When asked what the secrets of modern their two children. She praises him of being ‘her best relationships are, Suzanne says it is crucial for women mentor’, ‘extremely supportive of her work’ and easing to acknowledge that men earning less still contribute things at home. An expert in coaching women in malefinancially by enabling them to increase their earning dominated fields and author of Female Breadwinners: power and therefore save elsewhere. Her book is How They Make Relationships Work and Why They designed as a guide to help these couples to get the Are the Future of the Modern Workforce, Suzanne has best out of their relationships. shared her insights.

Meet Jean-Paul Valz, married to Mercedes Erra, Suzanne finds that many couples are unprepared Founder of BETC and Executive President of Havas to deal with the situation when they face it. For both Worldwide. He is a stay-at-home dad of five and men and women, it is usually never a choice, and active campaigner for women’s rights. Jean Paul and society still views it as an uncomfortable situation to Mercedes met over 20 years ago, when he was working be in. Suzanne meets couples in denial over the wife for Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency, as head of the ‘wearing the pants’, which can create some resentment, International Research Department. She was his boss, and most men actually claim they work too – whether earning big money. ‘I loved my job and had a good they are an artist, consultant or managing their local salary,’ he says, but with five children at home to raise golf club. between the two of them, he decided one day to take To dispel the myth, Suzanne’s message is that this the ‘obvious decision’ to become a stay-at-home dad. situation can work well for some couples. She sees it Jean-Paul knows it is a luxury that he can stay at home as an opportunity to take a very pragmatic look at the and do what he loves: ‘I am lucky we can afford it.’ situation and make a deliberate choice – based on But however much he enjoys being with his personal skills, strengths and ambition – to decide who children Jean-Paul stresses that ‘you need to have an will stay at home with the children. Surprisingly, most intellectual life too’. He spends a lot of time actively women she interviewed recognised that their husbands campaigning on women’s rights internationally. He were better than them at home… including herself. is pro quotas and gets angry that such little progress Probably contrary to women in the reverse situation, is being made in gender equality. The secrets of his stay-at-home-men still do fewer household tasks, but relationship? Complicity, communication, a reciprocal there is a rise in male stress over work/life balance. admiration and children who, for him, definitely Suzanne reckons that having a dad raising the cement the whole family. I 52 - info - may / june

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Success secrets of dual-career couples Many couples either choose to or have to both work. Dr Monique Valcour, Professor of Management at EDHEC Business School proposes four strategies for successfully combining two careers with family life

acebook COO Sheryl Sandberg offers the following career advice: ‘The most important career choice you’ll make is who you marry’. This guidance is backed up by research that I and other scholars have conducted showing that career outcomes among dual-career couples are related to the dynamics of support and career priority within couples, as well as to the division of domestic labour. Young people just finishing their education often have unrealistic expectations about the ease with which they will be able to combine a career and a family. What makes dual-career marriages work for both partners? Here are four strategies.

1. Shared vision and values First of all, communicate regularly about what matters most to both of you. What is your shared vision of the life you hope to live? What would you not give up under any circumstances, even if it meant sacrificing in other important areas? Even though you may hope to ‘have it all’, placing things that are important to both of you (such as career advancement, living in a certain city, starting a business, maintaining excellent health) in order of priority improves your ability to make decisions that are consistent with your core values.

2. Mutual interest, appreciation and investment Remember that you fell in love with this person because you found him or her interesting and you wanted to share your lives. Being interested in and learning about your partner’s work life and sharing about your own are important ways of maintaining and further developing that mutual interest. A good guiding principle to follow is to look for solutions that reduce careerrelated conflicts and maximise opportunities for career enrichment between the members of the couple. Spouses can help each other decide how to approach the issues they encounter in their careers by listening, asking questions and offering a broader perspective, much in the same way that high-performing teams do.

© w i k ip e d i a / Wor ld Econom ic For u m

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Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg

3. A team orientation As in a team, dual-career couples help each other out and work together to find solutions that enable them to achieve shared goals. This often means taking turns. Many couples confer with each other before accepting travel commitments to ensure that both parents are never away at the same time.

The most successful dual-career couples avoid consistently sacrificing one partner’s career in favour of the other’s. In less successful dual-career partnerships, each partner’s interest in the other’s career is often more self-referential, i.e. ‘how will my partner’s work demands or rewards affect me?’ as opposed to ‘how do we meet the demands and enjoy the rewards together?’

4. Flexibility and adaptability Both partners need to be open to change and adaptable. Believing that you will be able to stick to an inflexible dual-career plan forever is a recipe for disappointment and missed opportunities. Few people make it all the way through a career without experiencing an unexpected event that affects their career prospects, a significant failure, an apparent success that turns out to be unsatisfactory, or a desire to make a significant change. Fortunately, having shared goals, mutual understanding, and a commitment to helping each other out are powerful resources that help dual-career couples work through career and life challenges and changes. I info - may / june - 53

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The Women’s Forum: an insider’s view

Who was behind the creation of the Women’s Forum?

© Women ’s For u m

Myriam O’Carroll produces and presents Femmes de Valeur, a weekly radio programme on French Radio London, featuring interviews with inspirational women. Myriam is a regular attendee of the Global Women’s Forum in Deauville, France, commonly known as the ‘Davos for Women’. INFO asked her for an insider’s view

media are present, particularly the ones sensitive to women issues. You also meet a lot of men! Carlos Ghosn and Jacques Attali regularly attend the Forum, for instance. In 2012 there were 1,350 participants from 80 countries.

Aude de Thuin, a French self-made entrepreneur wanted to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos as an SME business leader, but was ignored by the organisers, so she decided to create an equivalent international forum for women. She launched the very first Women’s Forum in Deauville in 2005, Véronique Morali supported by some influential personalities and business partners, in order to provide a platform for international women leaders to debate on economic and social issues, as well as devise actions and initiatives for a sustainable future. The Forum is now run by Publicis, with Véronique Morali as its President. It is also expanding outside French borders, with editions in Brazil and Myanmar.

You meet women from all over the world wanting to learn best practice in management, business and leadership. Some of the stories are very personal which gives the Forum an emotional dimension that resonates with women. It’s not competitive, despite its concentration of top international women leaders. A lot of energy is generated and you usually leave feeling re-energised! It is an inspiring place where women enrich and empower themselves.

What is the mission of the Women’s Forum?

What type of sponsors support such an event?

I believe its DNA is to inform, inspire and connect women leaders as well as address women’s issues in a political, environmental and social context. This is encapsulated in its slogan: ‘Building the future with women’s vision’. The Forum also focuses on the synergies between philanthropy and business; ethics are definitely at the heart of the conversations. It is a platform where attendees can gather, network and take part through a series of conferences, hosted by renowned international speakers (thought leaders, academics, business leaders, etc.), participate in round-table discussions or practical workshops on issues such as technology, connectivity or well-being. Sponsors’ booths offer educational sessions, networking spaces and knowledge hubs. You even have a Champagne and a nail bar, as women do enjoy – between the business sessions – a bit of pampering too!

Some companies support the Women’s Forum because they are already engaged in women’s issues, for instance Renault, Orange, GDF Suez, Sanofi, or McKinsey, which has been conducting extensive research around women and leadership for many years. Cartier uses it as a vehicle for its Cartier Women Initiative Awards, promoting women entrepreneurs while Egon Zehnder International and Eurazeo promote young female leaders through the Rising Talents programme. I have been told that some of the first sponsors of the Women’s Forum were particularly keen to be on board because their CEOs were fathers of daughters only. I

Who typically attends?

Anyone can attend. Each year, a different foreign delegation of women is invited – last year it was a number of leading experts from Africa and China. Companies, including sponsors, also send their employees. Plus of course the 54 - info - may / june

What is the atmosphere like?

The next Women’s Forum Global Meeting will take place in Deauville from 16 to 18 October on the theme of ‘The Open World: compete, cooperate, create’. Other editions take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 17-18 June and Yangon, Myanmar, 6-7 December. www.womens-forum.com

focus Part Two: Interviews with women in business

Carolyn McCall on women and work One of only three women to head a FTSE 100 company, easyJet Chief executive Carolyn McCall talks to INFO about success, challenges and changing work culture to retain female talent You have been credited with bringing easyJet to this point in just over 2.5 years of being at the helm. What do you put this success down to?

There wasn’t any target to enter the FTSE 100 but reaching it is the result of the team at easyJet delivering the strategy of sustainable growth and returns and our disciplined approach to where we put our planes. easyJet’s distinctive positioning of low fares with friendly service across Europe’s leading network is providing industry leading returns for our shareholders. Very few companies are growing in Europe yet we continue to do so. easyJet has a great team who are all pulling in the same direction and we will just continue to do what we always do at easyJet which is focusing on passengers.

You have said that ‘Doing well, or badly, has nothing to do with being a woman and I’ve never faced discrimination.’

However, do you think that discrimination does play a part in keeping women out of senior positions and how would you encourage female advancement?

I think companies need to show more flexibility and understanding of the pressures on women. To ensure you have more female CEOs you must first enable more women to hold down senior executive positions, and widen the pipeline beneath them to ensure that more women are coming through at all levels. Women also need to have more confidence about asking for what they need in the workplace when they have children.

What do you think of quotas?

I don’t believe quotas are the right solution. This has however helped to spark discussion and debate and raised the profile of the issue of women on boards, which can only be a good thing.

How do you think gender balance can be achieved?

I am a strong believer that we will achieve a better gender balance but it is going to take time. Companies themselves can do far more than government as this is not about legislation, it is about culture and attitude. If companies want to retain female talent, they have to work hard to do so by being more agile in their outlook and approach but women have to also want to continue their careers and have to have the confidence to help change the culture of the working environment.

Does easyJet have any policies or initiatives to achieve gender diversity in all echelons of the company?

At easyJet, despite being in what is seen as a traditionally male industry, we work hard to develop our female talent which has resulted in a more balanced executive committee and Board.

You rose to the top, first in the media and now in the airline industry. What have been your greatest challenges?

The greatest challenges are always cultural where you have to bring people with you because there is a need to make change. At the Guardian it was all about digital disruption and getting people to change the model which had existed for decades. At easyJet we are at the right side of structural change but we have to maintain our cost advantage which presents challenges. We had challenges around on-time performance but they were easier to solve in order to achieve industry leading punctuality.

Do you feel that you have had to sacrifice anything to be a successful woman in business?

No, but you do have to work hard to achieve balance and it can be hard to get it right.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Learn from every experience! You’re never too experienced to continue to learn and develop. Find the right culture and enjoy what you do – passion and enthusiasm stand out a mile and make people want to work with you. And build really good teams because you can achieve greater things collectively rather than individually. I KF info - may / june - 55

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A word with Hélène Darroze Hélène Darroze is one of only a handful of female chefs with multiple Michelin stars to her name – at her eponymous restaurants in Paris and the Connaught in London. She spoke to INFO about the challenges and joys of her job and how she combines it with single parenthood

Did you always aspire to be a chef and how did you get where you are?

I have always had a passion for food and cooking. I am the fourth generation in a family of chefs so it is in my blood. I started cooking aged 5 but was never formally trained – the mentality was that good students should study at a high level so I went to business school, never imagining I would end up a chef. After graduating I went to Monaco to join Alain Ducasse’s team as an administrative assistant. Fortunately for me he was not ready to take me on for three months, so in the meantime I asked if I could work in the kitchen just to learn, and realised that was what I truly loved.

After my stint in the office he allowed me to work in the kitchen and gave me the opportunity to make my passion a job. I’m an instinctive rather than a technical chef.

Top female chef patrons are much rarer than their male counterparts. Why is that so?

Do you think there is a difference between male and female chefs?

Of course because we are not the same. I don’t think I manage my team like a man would. A lot of the men who join my team are surprised at the ambiance and the atmosphere in my kitchen. There is no noise, but there is a lot of respect and communication. I always say, don’t speak with your mouth, speak with your eyes. You never hear someone shouting in my kitchen.

If there is a mistake the important thing is to recognise it, know why it happened and find a solution, not to shout. I am always very transparent with my team and I In the plate – I cook with never take a decision without five or my emotion, my life, so six collaborators around me. In the of course the emotions plate – I cook with my emotion, my of a woman are not the life, so of course the emotions of a same as those of a man. woman are not the same as those of a man.

It is a difficult job for a woman because it’s very involved and the hours are long. At the age of 30 you also want to be a wife and a mum. At the time that you should be at home bathing your children or reading them a bedtime story, you have to be at work. So it’s a choice you have to make, and it’s not an easy one. If I had been in love with a man who wanted to marry me and have a family when I was that age I would probably not be here. I only became a mum at the age of 40 when I adopted my daughters from Vietnam because before then I don’t think it would have been possible to work in the kitchen at this level as well as have a family.

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From a financial point of view when you are younger you can’t afford the high level of childcare you need. I need someone to be with my children six days a week from 9am until 12am, because I never know when my breaks are going to be.

What is your signature dish and how does it embody the philosophy behind your cuisine?

I have many signature dishes but my favourite is black rice – cooked with Carnaroli Acquerello rice, squid ink and cream, and topped with sauteed calamari, chorizo, confit tomatoes, a bitter jus and parmesan emulsion.

It is a mix of Italy, Spain and south-west France. The strong Italian influence comes from Mario Muratore, the head chef at Alain Ducasse, who became my

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similar culture, philosophy and way of life. Moscow is far more complicated – it’s much further away, there’s jetlag, and then the education, culture and values are not the same.

On top of this, you are a single parent. How do you juggle this aspect of your life along with your demanding job?

Up until last September I took my daughters with me, but now Charlotte is at school so they stay in London.

My rule is that I am away no more than eight nights per month and no longer than three consecutive nights. The girls have got used to that and we Skype morning and evening. The key to it all is organisation and to have very good teams around you both at home and at work. Five days per week I work very hard, but I always take a break in the evening and come home to spend half an hour with them and kiss them goodnight, and then we spend weekends and holidays together. My daughters know I have to work hard and they respect that and want to do the same.

Charlotte told me, ‘I want to be a chef like you and take children from Vietnam and make them happy.’

Do you find having a ‘celebrity’ status in any way distracting?

That’s part of the job and I accept it, but I don’t consider myself a celebrity!

Hélène Darroze

What do you love most about your job, and what are its most challenging aspects?

second father. He taught me so many things and when I had time off I used to stay with his family in Luguria, Italy and learned the Italian way of food and cooking from his fabulous mama. But there is also in this dish a little bit of Spain and the Basque country, where my roots are, so it is a mix of what I am. First and foremost is the quality of the products – the calamari are the best from Saint-Jean-Luz in France, for example, and on top of that I put my life, I put my emotion, I put what made me – the place of my birth, my education, the travel I’ve done, the people I’ve met who’ve shared things with me and given me ideas.

What I like best is the moment of creation when you work closely with the team to put together new dishes. After that I love the service when you make the guests happy, and share this intense moment with your team. But I find managing a team is not always easy. I have 45 people in Paris and the same number in London, and it’s a big deal to inspire, motivate and lead them.

How do you manage to balance your time, energy and focus between the two restaurants in London and Paris?

I have three restaurants now – we opened one in Moscow in November 2012. I travel to Moscow every two months but only for 2-3 days. I’m lucky because London and Paris are not so far by Eurostar, and it’s a

What are your key ingredients for cooking and success?

In cooking the key for me is the season rather than specific ingredients. For success, one of the keys is to be yourself and to cook what you like and believe in, rather than what is fashionable. The other is never to rest on your laurels. The great chef Fernand Point used to say you have to start every morning at zero with nothing on the stove. You can apply that to life too. The day I think I have arrived is the day I am finished. I KF info - may / june - 57

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Women in business: performing the balancing act much has changed for women in a little more than a generation: more women than ever before attend university and work in the professions, the public sector, politics and, of course, business.

But although we live in a society that now espouses and legislates equality, the playing field is not always level and many women still struggle with barriers and achieving a balance between work and family life. INFO spoke to several women at the top of their careers to find out how and why they had succeeded in combining the two

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he McKinsey & Company report Women Matter 2010 identifies the ‘double-burden’ syndrome (women balancing work and domestic responsibilities) as the biggest barrier to increasing gender diversity within the top management of corporations, followed closely by the ‘anytime, anywhere’ performance model which requires unfailing availability and geographical mobility at all times. Without exception, successful business women with families have had considerable help on the domestic front to allow them to put in the work hours.

Many pay tribute to their husbands or partners: ‘I wouldn’t be here without the support of my husband,’ says Nathalie Seiler-Hayez, General Manager of the

It’s about finding the right balance, between the spouse, the mother and the manager

Nathalie Seiler-Hayez

Connaught. ‘He is not career-oriented and is close to the children. He helps me out and also gives me the freedom and possibility to express myself and sometimes spend more time at work, but I know that the children are in the best hands.’

It is a sentiment echoed by Nathalie Gaveau, founder of Shopcade: ‘We have role models who show us the way and we have great husbands,’ she says, when asked what has empowered women to succeed 58 - info - may / june

We have role models who show us the way and we have great husbands

Nathalie Gaveau

in their own businesses in recent years. Others have had to engage full-time nannies or carers. Elisabeth Delahaye, founder of Delahaye Moving, had a 20-year ‘business relationship’ with a woman who looked after her three children, even staying with them at home when Elisabeth travelled, and chef Hélène Darozze has live-in nannies for her daughters, although she points out that the high cost of childcare means that there is an affordability issue for many women.

Conversely, an awareness of the issues of combining work and family life does make women managers supportive, as Helena Kavanagh, Managing Director of JC Decaux explains: ‘Obviously because I am a woman myself and have had to do that balance between home and work, I am receptive to those kind of requests – parent-teachers evenings, nativity plays, etc. But I would do that for a man as well as for a woman. I’m very aware how important family is.’

Baroness Blackstone, who has had decades of experience in academia, education, diplomacy, politics and culture, also notes a shift in perception in the workplace: ‘People are more aware of the pressures on young families, and this applies to men who have

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It’s just a matter of being organised, having drive, working hard obviously and being passionate about what you do

Baroness Blackstone children of school age as well as women. When I was younger I couldn’t possibly take a day off because I would be letting the side down for women – that attitude does not apply in the same way today. There is more understanding, more effort taken to support people, women in particular who are trying to balance and juggle. These are changes for the better and they will go on continuing – I would expect the world of my granddaughters to be different again, and we would have progressed further.’

However, many women view taking prolonged or indeed any career breaks for children as detrimental, although they invariably call it a ‘difficult choice’.

‘After I graduated I was very determined that I would continue with my career even though I had my children when I was very young, that I would somehow do the balancing act that was necessary, and I have never regretted doing that,’ says Baroness Blackstone, chair of the Franco-British Council, who has been called a ‘pioneer for working women’ because she worked when it wasn’t the norm for women to do so. ‘I kept working all the way through which gave me a considerable advantage compared with some people who did drop out and then had all the problems of catching up and confidence issues.’

We would do better if we devoted more time to telling people what a good job we are doing

Rose Gledhill

Rose Gledhill, HR Director for Northern Europe at International SOS also kept working part-time ‘in relatively manageable roles’ when her children were small: ‘Staying in the workplace was critical for me as I felt I would lose touch as a full-time mum and would struggle to get back up to speed. As my children grew up and needed less of my time, I moved into more challenging roles.’

Confidence is key. ‘If I was to observe anything about

women in business, it is that they lack confidence in themselves,’ Helena Kavanagh comments. ‘Women with ability have less confidence than men without.

It does baffle me. I have never been an aggressive, determined type of person. I would work charm more than I would try anything else – it works. That’s my

If I was to observe anything about women in business, it is that they lack confidence in themselves

Helena Kavanagh advice – turn on the charm and be confident.’ Rose Gledhill puts it another way: ‘I think women tend to be modest about their achievements and we would do better if we devoted more time to telling people what a good job we are doing.’ McKinsey research backs this up – the reticence of women to advocate for themselves was the third biggest barrier cited in Women Matter 2010. The latest report Women Matter 2012: Making the Breakthrough notes that ‘young women, just like young men start out with high ambitions. But while they never lose belief in their own abilities, they do frequently turn down advancement opportunities because of commitments outside work, risk aversion to positions that demand news skills, or a desire to stay in roles that they feel provide personal meaning.

A reluctance to promote themselves is also an issue.

“Women think that everyone can see how hard they work, so they don’t have to communicate it,” one executive told us.’

So how can women be successful in business while achieving the work/life balance? ‘It’s just a matter of being organised, having drive, working hard obviously and being passionate about what you do. Having some talent also comes into it, but talent can be developed or ignored,’ says Baroness Blackstone. Nathalie SeilerHayez also cites being organised, but adds that your financial position and knowing where your priorities lie play a role too. ‘It’s about finding the right balance, between the spouse, the mother and the manager. And it is also important to make time for your friends,’ she observes. ‘Of course nothing is perfect. I will never be the perfect wife, the perfect manager. Women always aim for perfection but I think we have to learn to let go of things sometimes. For example, if I am told it would be a great idea for me to attend a business cocktail, I might say “no, my children need me more tonight”. I am learning to make these kinds of decisions.’ I KF info - may / june - 59

focus

Creating company cultures where women flourish Bea Benkova was a financial high flyer who gave it all up to found the Global Institute for Extraordinary Women (GIFEW). Myriam O’Carroll interviewed her to find out why

A

ccording to McKinsey research, there is a direct correlation between companies with boards made up of more than 30% females and positive financial results.

Many companies are already doing a great deal to develop their female talents, but these programmes are often based on the masculine expression of success, applied to women who are developed to become driven, efficient, and thrive by running on adrenalin, so that they can handle high-profile roles currently designed and held by men.

For many years, Bea Benkova, the founder and CEO of GIFEW, worked in international finance. Having studied at Oxford and holding degrees in finance and economics from the UK and her native Slovakia, Bea was raised from an early age to be successful and be the best. She held senior positions in the City of London at ABN AMRO and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Looking back, she recognises the pressure and her constant drive to succeed and step up the corporate ladder, as experienced by her peers and the women managers above her. She admits, though, that she never questioned herself: ‘Why would you when you always achieve what you want and are rewarded for it?

Everybody tells you this is the way to be successful. It then becomes the norm.’

During that time, Bea was introduced to personal development. Increasingly, she felt split, as if living two lives – one draining her energy during the day and the other one, surprisingly, recharging her after work. For a few years, she attempted to combine her new perspective with her day-to-day banking job, but struggled to reconcile the two worlds. But she could not imagine letting go of her current status. ‘I postponed… I had invested so much time, energy and money in getting there,’ she recalls. She experienced burnout and started to become ill, but the wake-up call only came when 60 - info - may / june

her mother was diagnosed with cancer. With her husband’s support, she resigned and spent six months researching her next career path.

Bea had always felt drawn to making a difference to women, and also noticed the cycle of feminine energy coming to the foreground of business and society, so she chose to support women leaders. From her own experience, Bea knew that ambitious and high-powered women who wanted to make a difference had often lost, on their journey up the ladder, their femininity, true power and fulfilment.

They frequently began thinking and acting like men.

Consequently, Bea Benkova built an international coaching practice providing women with the space and support to be feminine, powerful and wealthy.

Bea partnered with other respected women – the British talent innovations consultant Elva Ainsworth, Brazilian educator Sandra Epstein and the Czech female leadership and diversity expert Radka Dohnalova.

Together they designed a comprehensive research programme, resulting in The Authentic and Integrated Women’s Leadership Model, to find out – on a global scale – how women who were both successful and fulfilled actually operated, what qualities they applied at work and how they lived their lives, so that others could learn from them and follow their example.

That formed the core of the Global Institute for Extraordinary Women, which Bea founded in 2012. Its team of both women and men coach, train, connect and support women leaders from around the world through a range of development programmes, specifically designed for women. GIFEW also delivers programmes to corporations as, according to its founder, ‘for companies to achieve dramatically better financial results, it is not just about adding women to their board, it is about creating a culture where women will flourish, through their feminine qualities.’ I

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From BNP Paribas’ sponsorship of 2012’s focus blockbuster David Hockney: A Bigger Picture to CBRE’s 20 year corporate membership – the Royal Academy is grateful to the following French Chamber supporters BNP Paribas CBRE Crédit Agricole CIB Dior Couture UK Ltd Ernst & Young LLP GlaxoSmithKline Louis Vuitton UK Ltd Morgan Stanley ADVERT Sotheby’s ___ Join these partners by becoming a Corporate Supporter corporate@royalacademy.org.uk 020 7300 5629

62 - info - may / june

Compiled & written by Melonie Gault

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition ||| Now in its 245th year, the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2013 is the world’s largest open submission contemporary art show. For artists, whether long-established or just starting out, it provides a platform to showcase their work to an international audience. It offers visitors a snapshot of living artists today, and with many of the works for sale the opportunity to purchase original works to add to or even kick start their private collection. It has marked the start of the summer cultural season in London every year without interruption since 1769 and remains true to its objective of financing the training of young artists in the Royal Academy Schools. Consequently we stay true to Sir Joshua Reynolds’ vision when founding the Royal Academy of Arts; to create a venue for exhibitions that would be open to all members of the public and to establish a free school of art to nurture the next generation of talented artists.

The latter happens just a stone’s throw away from the main gallery spaces, in the RA Schools, the country’s oldest art school hidden in the heart of Mayfair and the only in Europe to offer a three-year postgraduate fine arts course. The Academy upholds the founding principal that the Schools should be based entirely on merit offering a free of charge education by securing the funds needed to cover the cost of fees of all accepted to study. With the professional education of the artist at its heart, students uniquely benefit from the tuition and experience of the Royal Academician membership, all established practising artists who are invited to exhibit in the Summer Exhibition each year. According to Head of the RA Schools, Eliza Bonham Carter, this helps to create a course which is ‘remarkable in its ability to address the individual needs of each student – the singularity of their work is supported in the practical, technical, critical and intellectual development of their practice.’

Putting these skills into practice the students exhibit their works and test the market place during two public exhibitions held each year; Premiums, an interim, second year show takes place in the galleries of the Royal Academy, and the Schools Summer Show, an exhibition of works by final year students which runs alongside the Summer Exhibition. Nancy Milner, a final year student currently preparing for her final

Thrown Down. Nancy Milner 2012.

100 x 110cm, Oil on Canvas

show, reflects on her time at the RA: ‘Studying at the RA Schools for three years has given me the time that I needed to focus on my practice and to question why I make paintings. When I started, I made paintings that referred directly to photographic source material, but my recent work is an investigation into the relationship between light and space in painting. I have been thinking about “what to do” in a space and how the source material, photographs and drawings, influence the process.’

Upon graduating, Nancy will join an illustrious list of alumni, including William Blake, JMW Turner, John Everett Millais and John Constable and more recently Matthew Darbyshire, Lucy Williams and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, all of whose studies were supported by the proceeds of the Summer Exhibition, with many more talented artists to join them in the future. I www.royalacademy.org.uk The RA Summer Exhibition 2013 runs 10 June – 18 August, the RA Schools Summer Show 2013 runs 19 – 30 June. info - may / june - 63

w h at ’ s o n design museum A winner has been announced. On 16 April, the gov.uk website was declared the Design of the Year 2013. Designed by the Government Digital Service (GDS), this revolutionary website combines all of the UK government’s websites into a single domain.

Consisting of over 90 selections, this year’s contest embraced world known designs such as the tallest building in the European Union: The Shard by Renzo Piano, the Olympic Cauldron by Heatherwick Studio and A Room for London, designed by David Kohn Architects. Also in the spotlight were Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s collection for Louis Vuitton, Dixon Jones’s Exhibition Road Masterplan, and the phenomenally successful Rain Room by Random International.

Displaying designs varying from a portable 3D printer to an apparatus coined ‘Magic Arms’ made for children suffering with musculoskeletal disabilities, to a superstitious robot that trades on the stock market, the awards compiled the most original and

© Heatherwick Studio

Designs of the year

The Olympic Cauldron

remarkable designs in the world today.

This prestigious and exciting exhibition, designed by London studio Faudett-Harrison, covers seven different categories: architecture, product, furniture, fashion, graphic, digital and transport. I All the projects will be on show at the Design Museum until 7 July

© Sebastião Salgado / Amazonas Images / nbpictures

n at u r a l h i s t o ry m u s e u m

Sebastião Salgado: Genesis For the last eight years, Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado has travelled the globe exploring and discovering landscapes, wildlife and communities that have been untouched by modern life.

The world premiere of his photographic exhibition ‘Genesis’ was unveiled at the Natural History Museum in mid-April. Two hundred black-and-white photographs of magnificent landscapes and people in peril around the planet are on display and for the world 64 - info - may / june

to see – exposing the lives of indigenous communities in isolated regions who still live by ancient values, examining the balance of human relationship with our fragile planet and celebrating the majesty and baffling beauty of nature.

On a journey through 32 countries, Sebastião Salgado came across some of the planet’s most remote locations such as the Kalahari Desert, the jungles of Indonesia and Madagascar. He hovered in balloons over herds of water buffalo in Africa, found the ‘paradise of penguins’ on the South Sandwich Islands and travelled across Siberia with the nomadic Nenets – people who move their reindeer hundreds of miles each year to seasonal pasture. ‘I learned from them the concept of the essential,’ he says. ‘If you give them something they can’t carry, they won’t accept it. I feel Genesis also speaks urgently to our own age by portraying the breathtaking beauty of a lost world that somehow survives. It proclaims: this is what is in peril, this is what we must save,’ says Salgado.

After the London premiere, the exhibition will open in Toronto, Rio de Janeiro, Rome and Paris. I 11 April – 8 September. Open daily 10.00 – 17.50 Full price: £10

w h at ’ s o n

© Yannis Thavoris

La Donna del Lago Based on Sir Walter Scott’s 1801 poem ‘The Lady of the Lake’, Rossini’s opera La Donna del Lago is a love story set against the turbulent background of the Highlanders costume designs Scottish Highlands using Harris Tweed in the 16th century.

Associate Director of Opera John Fulljames says, ‘For me, Rossini’s Scottish fantasy is about exploring how history can be shaped to make the case for nationhood, and I want to explore how a sense of the past and a sense of the future can be alive in any period.’ Three leading bel canto voices of our time make this opera one to remember: Juan Diego Flórez, Joyce DiDonato, and Colin Lee. The performance on the 27 May will also be broadcast live into cinemas internationally and across the UK. I 17 May - 11 June. Tickets from £147. For times, dates and details of performances or to book visit www.roh.org.uk

V&A David Bowie Is The V&A has been given unprecedented access to the David Bowie Archive to curate the first international retrospective of the most pioneering and influential performers of modern times.

More than 300 objects have been brought together for this exclusive exploration of David Bowie’s extraordinary career as a musical innovator and cultural icon, tracing his shifting style and sustained reinvention. ‘I did not go as a David Bowie fan, but came out a complete fan of the exhibition,’ says Florence Gomez, the Chamber’s Managing Director. ‘It was a brilliantly staged interactive experience.’

Gems to look out for are Freddie Burretti’s Ziggy Stardust bodysuits, photography by Brian Duffy; and official track videos and recordings of live performances. Completely sold out online, the season has been extended by a month with tickets available at the museum. I Until 11 August. Open daily 10.00 – 17.30; Fridays 10.00 – 21:45. Full price: £15.50 © Duffy Archive

r oya l o p e r a h o u s e

Benjamin Biolay LIVE IN LONDON Live at the Union Chapel on 27 June, 7pm. Tickets £15 Presented by 2 for the Road

||| The French chanteur is making his UK debut, celebrating the release of his new album ‘Vengeances’ which features guest artists Carl Barat, Vanessa Paradis and Oxmo Puccino.

Benjamin Biolay is an artist, producer, arranger, film star and sometime model. He is too modest to make the claim himself, but Biolay is arguably the most naturally gifted musician in France today. His previous album, the dazzling concept cycle ‘La Superbe’, won two Victoires de la Musique – for Best Male Performer and Album of The Year – in 2010, and bucked the downward spiral of the French music market with sales of 100,000 copies within weeks of its release.

A household name in his native France, where the release of ‘Vengeance’ saw him grace the covers of influential magazines Les Inrockuptibles and Télérama, Biolay has inevitably been compared to the late Serge Gainsbourg, as much for his spellbinding halfspoken delivery, gorgeous orchestrations and unexpected lyrical twists, as for his ability to draw the best out of the many people he has collaborated with, particularly women. I To book, visit any of the following websites: WeGotTickets, Seetickets or Music Glue.

The talented Benjamin Biolay

info - may / june - 65

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Festival des Métiers – A rendezvous with Hermès craftspeople

||| Hermès is staging the Festival des Métiers, an exhibition showcasing 10 different Hermès crafts, at London’s Saatchi Gallery.

Working just as they would in the Hermès workshops in France, the craftspeople will be making a wide selection of Hermès objects by hand during seven days in May. This engaging public exhibition provides a fascinating insight into the traditions and values of Hermès in the crafting of fine objects; a presentation that encourages interaction by giving visitors the opportunity to meet and converse with the Hermès’

artisans and have a firsthand experience of their unique savoir-faire.

The Festival des Métiers unlocks the poetic and unique crafts that are the essence of the house of Hermès, as their craftspeople reveal the mastery of their métiers. Visitors will see the famous Hermès silk scarf printed before their eyes and to the rhythmic sounds of the artisans’ tools, handbags, watches, ties, fine jewellery and other iconic objects from Hermès collections will be brought to life during the course of the exhibition. I Saatchi Gallery, 21 May – 27 May. Open daily 10.00 – 18.00. Free admission

HUBERT-FÉLIX THIÉFAINE comes to London Live at Bush Hall on 27 June, 7:30pm. Standing tickets only £22 Presented by French Radio London / Lorelei and Arachnee Productions

||| Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine will give his very first concert in London as part of his Homo Plebis Ultimae Tour.

This intimate must-see show will be the opportunity for the uninitiated to discover this esteemed singer and songwriter and a chance for his fans to look back on his 30-year career, from his breakthrough to his latest award-winning album Suppléments de mensonge. This record won Best Album and Best Male Artist at the 27th Victoires de la Musique and the SACEM Grand Prix de la Chanson Française last year.

Fans will have the opportunity to sing along to well-known classics like Lorelei Sebasto Cha and La Fille du Coupeur de Joint.

Suppléments de mensonge is Hubert-Félix Thiéfaine’s sixteenth studio album and perhaps his best work so far, a deeply honest offering revealing the real him. A tormented, discreet and realistic poet, he has overcome doubts, fears and hard times to achieve peace. This album is unique and off-beat, with lyrics similar to Léo Férré or Bob Dylan, who were great inspirations to Thiéfaine at the beginning of

his career. Catch this unique London leg of his hugely successful tour. I To book visit www.bushhallmusic.co.uk

info - may / june - 67

BD & Comics Passion Festival 30 May – 2 June

||| Comic books are taking over our bookshops, our films, our clothes, our museums... To celebrate and explore the many influences of comic books, the Institut Français launched the BD & Comics Passion festival in 2011, which brought together legendary creators for a series of innovative events.

This year’s edition will feature more extraordinary creators including Posy Simmonds, Edika, Glen Baxter, Etienne Davodeau, MarcAntoine Mathieu, Régis Loisel, Hunt Emerson, Pénélope Bagieu and more.

Once again, the imaginative programme offers unique events such as Drink & Draw, mingling live drawing and wine tasting led by renowned British Master of Wine Tim Atkin. Due to popular demand, this edition will feature two Drawing Jams, with French stars La Grande Sophie and GiédRé providing an entrancing soundtrack to the guest illustrators’ drawn improvisations.

In addition to talks and workshops, the festival will host its trademark event, the Drawing Duo, which encourages a French artist and a British artist

to collaborate on a series of drawings in front of an audience. This year’s Franco-British collaborations are Posy Simmonds with Etienne Davodeau, and Hunt Emerson with François Boucq.

This festival is also an opportunity to explore the links with literature, and show that the genre of comic books is not isolated or separate.

Children will be able to attend workshops to create their own comic book on paper or iPad, masterclasses with celebrated authors to draw their favourite characters, and films for the whole family. I

book reviews

Brief Loves that live Forever

The Son

by Andreï Makine Published by MacLehose Press Translated by Geoffrey Strachan

by Michel Rostain Published by Tinder Press Translated by Adriana Hunter

||| In Soviet Russia the desire for freedom is also a desire for the freedom to love. Lovers live as outlaws, traitors to the collective spirit, and love is more intense when it feels like an act of resistance. Now entering middle age, an orphan recalls the fleeting moments that have never left him – a scorching day in a blossoming orchard with a woman who loves another; a furtive, desperate affair in a Black Sea resort; the bunch of snowdrops a crippled childhood friend gave him to give to his lover. As the dreary Brezhnev era gives way to Perestroika and the fall of Communism, the orphan uncovers the truth behind the life of Dmitri Ress, whose tragic fate embodies the unbreakable bond between love and freedom. I

||| We first meet Michel 11 days after the death of his son Lion.

Lion was lost, suddenly, to a virulent strain of meningitis and it has left his father and entire family reeling. We join Michel on his personal journey through grief, but the twist that makes the journey truly remarkable, and tips this true story into fiction, is the fact that we see it all through Lion’s eyes.

In a stunningly original blurring of memoir and fiction, The Son tackles the very hardest of subjects in the most readable of ways. Michel Rostain resolutely ducks away from sentimentality and pathos, and tells his story instead with wit, wisdom and vitality. For this is not a book about death; it is a book about life. I

68 - info - may / june

w i n e p r ess

Cheese of the month by La Cave à Fromage: Nivernais

© flickr/Roger Braunstein (rogerimp)

||| We often forget that cheese is so simple. It is made of milk and by people. Every time I visit a cheese producer, I leave on a high having spent time with these extraordinary people, the true stars of the show, the ones who fulfil our culinary desires and fill our bellies with joy. These are the people who stand in the background and remain anonymous. They are not in the least interested in the infamous star-rating system.

Last month, I went to source cheese for the new season in the Loire valley and central France. The weather was incredibly mild, but I was told

by Laetitia, a young lady who makes a fabulous Nivernais goat’s cheese, that her herd of cows would not be out in the fields for another three weeks. Her husband cultivates the farm and she runs the dairy. The two of them knew that nature was not yet ready to welcome the animals outside. Laetitia’s cheese is so delicate and full of lovely hazelnut aromas.

To add to our guilty pleasures, she spoons a bit of crème fraiche into the centre of the cheese. Do not miss this natural gem and culinary treat. I

by Eric Charriaux Loire Valley

Your wine with Nivernais by Wine Story

© wikipedia/Cjp24

||| One of the most well-know goat’s cheeses from the Nivernais (east of the Loire Valley) is the Crottin de Chavignol which has been produced since the 16th century in the village of Chavignol, near Sancerre where good white wine is made. The local white wines, such as Sancerre, Menetou-Salon and Pouilly Fumé, are all made with the Sauvignon Blanc grape, and match perfectly with the local goat’s cheese.

In Chavignol today the vines share the land with the goats as the village is in the middle of the AOP Sancerre. For cheese lovers who are not big fans of Sauvignon Blanc, I recently discovered a very affordable dry Chardonnay from the other end of the Loire Valley – the Muscadet area in the south west.

Sancerre wines often have very little interaction with oak, instead This dry vin de pays from the Chateau du spending most of their fermentation and aging period in large Coing has a crispy and mineral palate and stainless steel fermentation tanks a fruity aftertaste, which is ideal with the nuttiness of the goat’s cheese of Nivernais. And, just vin de pays, we are far from the star-rating system. I like with Laetitia’s Nivernais cheeses, with a simple

by Thibault Lavergne info - may / june - 69

News @ the Chamber A

strange and slightly obscure link exists between Jersey and Saint-Emilion, other than both were raison d’etres of two recent Chamber events – the Business Club Cocktail and the Luxury Wine Master Class. What the island state and the wine region have in common are ‘Jurats’. Under France’s ancien regime, the title of office referred to a member of the municipal body – the equivalent of an alderman. Nowadays in the Channel Island of Jersey, a Jurat is a non-professional judge of fact, with additional duties to grant liquor licences through the Licensing Assembly. In Saint-Emilion, the ancient office responsible for the civic, legal and administrative affairs of the City, as well as the production and control of the wine, was revived in 1948 to take on the role of ambassador for Saint-Emilion wines, with a commitment to guarantee their authenticity and quality as well as spread the word far and wide of their good name.

Common threads aside, both events were highly successful examples of the Chamber’s networking facilitation. While the Locate Jersey presentation at the Business Club Cocktail was thwarted by a snowstorm of epic proportions, those of the Jersey delegation who did make it were able to speak one-to-one with the many Chamber member stalwarts who stayed the course.

The intimate setting of The Wine 70 - info - may / june

Shop at Harrods proved ideal not only for the Saint-Emilion wine master class, but also the networking afterwards – so much so that there was a certain reluctance to leave when time was called.

A reprise of the Member to Member Cocktail and Exhibition was also a resounding success, with an impressive turnout of members who, by all accounts, thoroughly enjoyed mixing with each other, making connections and getting to know or sample each other’s products and services thanks to the 23 exhibitors.

Much food for thought – and discussion – has also been provided by the Chamber’s Forums and Clubs, which have continued to meet regularly over the period.

Sessions of the HR Forum, Finance Forum, Climate Change Forum and the SME & Entrepreneurs Club took place, all with high calibre presentations on topics ranging from green buildings to investing in emerging markets.

For Patron members there have been events both intellectual and cultural in the form of the ‘Business in Society’ panel debate co-organised by Mazars and thinktank Tomorrow’s Company and VIP Mornings at the Royal Academy for the Manet and George Bellows exhibitions.

But all this is just a warm-up for what’s in store at the Chamber now that Spring has sprung and the year is gaining momentum. I

new members 1 New patron member

Royal Opera House Home of two of the world’s great artistic companies represented by Jane Storie, Head of Corporate Sponsorship, Acting Head of Patrons (Corporate) | www.roh.org.uk The Royal Opera House aims to enrich people’s lives through opera and ballet. As the home of two of the world’s great artistic companies – The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet, accompanied by the outstanding Orchestra of the Royal Opera House – our work is inspiring, innovative and unashamedly ambitious. We are unique in the breadth of our artistic output, the extent of our reach, our digital innovation and the depth of our commitment to learning and engagement which ranges from our approach to pricing through to wide-ranging participatory projects with schools, families, communities, adult learners and artists.

2 new corporate members:

Movingdesign | www.movingdesign.fr Art & design studio specialised in artistic, branded AV solutions. Represented by Philippe Lepron, CEO

In a world where it is becoming harder to create links, movingdesign provides premium digital solutions enhancing the connection with your target audience in the public spaces of your HQ, hotel, or store. Through artistic video clips and designer AV systems, we offer a full immersion into the emotional essence of your brand. We have the trust of international premium brands: Air France, Allen & Overy, BNP Paribas, Bouygues, Chanel, Dorchester, GDF Suez, Harrods, HSBC, Mandarin Oriental, Nespresso, Orange, Peugeot, etc.

Pullman London St Pancras | www.pullmanhotels.com/5309 Upscale hotel for business travellers and meetings. Represented by Jaime Faus, General Manager

Commanding a prime location in vibrant Kings Cross/St Pancras, Pullman London St Pancras brings a new experience, with stimulating design and attentive service all in a cosmopolitan environment. With 312 stylish bedrooms, an innovative dining concept including a theatre kitchen and contemporary meeting space, this is where business meets pleasure. Pullman-New attitude hotels by ACCOR. 11 new Active members

SAS Adefi | www.club-adefi.fr

Alteo Gardanne | www.alteo-alumina.com

Développement des entreprises françaises à l’international Represented by Aurélie Journet, Managing Director/Founder

Non metallurgical alumina, Represented by Beatrice Nicol, Sales network

Club Med | www.clubmed.co.uk Leading specialist in premium all inclusive holidays and corporate incentives Represented by Laurent de Chorivit, Managing Director

Saveur UK Ltd | www.solina-group.fr European ingredients specialist for food industries Represented by Bertrand Vaz, CFO

Société des Ingénieurs Arts et Métiers |

Interoffice UK Ltd | www.interoffice.co.uk

www.arts-et-metiers.asso.fr. Alumni Network Represented by Renaud Million, UK representative

Italian office furniture manufacturer Represented by Stewart Smith, Sales Director/Founder

The Medical Chambers Kensington |

Merci Maman | www.mercimaman.co.uk

www.themedicalchambers.com. Medical Represented by Ivor French, Director

Personalised gifts & bespoke charm jewellery Represented by Arnaud de Montille, Co-founder

UK Forex | www.ukforex.co.uk

Passport2Health | www.passport2health.co.uk

Foreign exchange provider for private and corporate Represented by Shaun Dash, Alliance Manager

Private medical insurer with treatment overseas Represented by James Begley, CEO

Upslide | www.upslide.fr/en Powerpoint and Excel customised for your team Represented by Antoine Vettes, CEO info - may / june - 71

chamber shorties ‘Business à la française’: the FT feature on our Cross-Cultural booklet Described as ‘fascinating’, our Cross-Cultural booklet Light at the End of the Tunnel/La Piège de la Ressemblance was the subject of an article by Simon Kuper in the Financial Times Weekend Magazine and Le Courrier International, resulting in a slew of orders from places as far-flung as USA, Hong Kong and French Polynesia. Produced by members of the Chamber’s Cross-Cultural Forum, it is a useful summary of work-related differences between the British and the French, offering practical insights to facilitate Franco-British business. I Available on www.ccfgb.co.uk for £6

Just published: The M2M offers booklet Released at the Member to Member cocktail and exhibition on 24 April 2013, the new booklet features 95 offers on Hotel & Restaurants, Marketing & Communication, in Store and Online, Legal & Financial advice.

All main representatives of our member companies will receive the booklet early May. I The booklet is also available to read online on www.ccfgb.co.uk/membership/ already-a-member/m2m-special-offers

Lionel Barber to be Guest Speaker at Annual Gala Dinner

New format of event: Rendez-vous Chez…

The Chamber is launching a new kind of networking event which will be hosted by a Chamber member, allowing members to gain an exclusive insight into a fellow member’s business, while making connections and building new business relationships in an informal way. I The very first ‘Rendez-vous chez...’ will take place on 15 May 2013 at East India Company.

Let us know if you would like to be the next host!

Contact: Kim Darragon at kdarragon@ccfgb.co.uk or +44 (0) 20 7092 6643

The Chamber is delighted that Lionel Barber, Editor of the Financial Times, will be the Guest Speaker at our Annual Gala Dinner on 24 October, which once again takes place at the elegant Landmark Hotel. The famous ‘pink paper’, which was founded in 1888, is marking its 125th anniversary this year. Since Lionel became editor in 2005, the FT has won many global awards for its quality journalism. These include three ‘Newspaper of the Year’ awards, which recognise the FT’s role as a ’21st century news organisation’. I

Change of date for the AGM: 8 July Notice has already gone out about the change of date for the Annual General Meeting of the French Chamber, but to reiterate it here, due to unforeseen circumstances we have had to change from 6 June 2013 to Monday 8 July 2013. The location at Reed 72 - info - may / june

Smith LLP’s offices and the time 18.30 – 21.00 remain unchanged. The evening is a major event in the Chamber’s calendar, and will be attended by the French Ambassador. Cocktails will follow the proceedings.

chamber shorties

The Chamber facilitates two French business delegations March and April saw the visit of two French delegations to Great Britain facilitated by the Chamber’s Business Consultancy team.

Club Alliance: 32 French business CEOs visited Wigan and its region in March. The main purpose was to better understand cross cultural differences and similarities in the way business is done in France and Great Britain. The visit included presentations and discussions with Airbus, C-Tec, Valueworks and Greater Manchester airport.

team, with the support of its members, was entrusted with the organisation of a weeklong programme including interventions from prominent financial institutions and consultancy group including: Lloyds TSB, EBRD, Société Générale, The Financial Times, Bloomberg, Ernst & Young, PwC, Frenger and Mazars. Sandra Richez, Head of Global Careers for EDHEC said: ‘we were very pleased with the whole trip. The entire team showed great dedication, flexibility, good humour and effectiveness (…) We would be most happy to collaborate with the French Chamber again in the future’.

EDHEC Business School: As part of its Global MBA, EDHEC offered a Business Trip to London on the theme ‘London, the first global financial centre’. The trip allowed 20 MBA participants from 15 different nationalities to understand the London ‘ecosystem’ and to provide them with maximum contact opportunities in business finance.

EDHEC is one of only two French Business Schools to have campuses in London (ESCP Europe being the other), yet chose to work with the French Chamber to organise the event.

The French Chamber’s Business consultancy

EDHEC’s London campus

Save the date: The Franco-British Energy Conference 2013

One of the key events in the Chamber’s calendar is the Franco British Energy Conference, which will take place on Tuesday 29 October (08.30 - 13.45) at One Great George Street and is open to all members as well as non-members. Held in partnership with the French Embassy in the United Kingdom the event is being sponsored by Alstom, EDF Energy and Total, with Areva, SPIE and VINCI Energies signed up as supporting sponsors.

Entitled ‘Meeting the UK challenges – partners in action’, the conference will tackle the following themes in two panel sessions: 1 ‘Will the UK Energy Policy enable the UK to meet its energy challenges?’

2 ‘How to develop Franco-British partnerships to deliver the investments required?’

So far confirmed speakers include, in alphabetical order: Stephen Burgin, UK Country President, Alstom; Robert Davies, Chief Executive Officer, Areva UK; Renaud Digoin Danzin, Executive Director, SPIE UK; Patrick Gougeon, Director, ESCP; Angela Knight, Chief Executive of Energy UK; Vincent de Rivaz, Chief Executive, EDF Energy; Patrice de Vivies, Senior Vice-President Northern Europe, Total Exploration Production, Chairman of Total Holdings UK; Rochdi Ziyat, Managing Director at Vinci Energies UK. Contact: Kim Darragon at kdarragon@ccfgb.co.uk or +44 (0) 20 7092 664 I info - may / june - 73

Vgx Idqrdx for Lydian International? ÑIt was crucial to us that we based ourselves in an internationally recognised jurisdiction, which our investors were entirely comfortable with.Ò CQ SHL BNTFGKHM

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Idqrdx9 Nodm enq Atrhmdrr A pro-business Island, ideally positioned for you to invest, grow and prosper; Jersey provides the perfect location for your future European operations.

Locate Jersey provide solutions to enable you to develop your business within the Island. Call us for an informal conversation.

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An unparalleled quality of life in a beautiful, safe, secure, island setting.

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The show goes on...

While a late winter snow storm played havoc with travel plans for the Locate Jersey delegation, Chamber members got on with an evening of great networking

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© José Farinho

chance to network extensively and learn something new are the key ingredients for the Chamber’s everpopular Business Club Cocktails, the latest of which took place on 13 March. With Locate Jersey as sponsors, members were looking forward to hearing about the attractions of this Channel island as a business location from Senator Maclean, Jersey’s Economic Development Minister, and Richard Corrigan, Head of Business Development for Jersey Finance. However, the weather gods had other ideas – Jersey, along with much of northern France, had been battered by the worst snow storm in 24 years, which severely delayed flights off the island. The Jersey delegation were forced to take a very convoluted route to get to the cocktail at the Sofitel London St James, with Richard Corrigan, Wayne Gallichan, Director of Inward Investment and International Trade Development at Locate Jersey, and the Deputy James Baker, Assistant Minister for Economic Development States of Jersey arriving towards the tail-end of the evening, in time for a few glasses of wine and one-to-one networking with Chamber members, but too late to make their presentation. Nevertheless, the prolonged networking session turned out to be enjoyable and fruitful for those who stayed the course, and many of those who attended commented on its success.

Making the most of the extended networking session

For the benefit of INFO readers we have a summary of their intended presentation below.

Why relocate your business to Jersey?

Internationally recognised as a highly reputable jurisdiction and well respected business centre, Jersey is open for business and welcomes appropriate inward investment. The States of Jersey Economic Growth and Diversification Strategy focuses efforts to stimulate and grow the Island’s economy, drive investment, improve confidence and create opportunities for businesses and residents alike.

Expansion in sectors such as ICT, intellectual property and renewable energy are of particular interest but by no means represent the limit of our ambitions. The recent creation of Digital Jersey, a private sector-led industry body, designed to capitalise on the island’s track record of innovation, will facilitate the growth of the industry, increasing its economic value to Jersey and in so doing, creating more employment opportunities.

In recent years, Jersey has successfully diversified its local economy and we are strongly focused on welcoming a diverse range of businesses. Mining, oil and gas companies have established their headquarters in the Island, while others have set up structures for raising capital.

This will mean that where – or more appropriately when – new companies wish to establish themselves in the Island, or existing businesses need the ability to grow, maximising local employment potential, Jersey will be in a position to make it happen quickly and easily.

Jersey will continue to drive business success, to innovate, to encourage entrepreneurial flair, and maintain the enterprising approach to business that has served the Island so well, for so long.

At Locate Jersey, the Inward Investment team provides a comprehensive, confidential and free service to facilitate, support and guide companies through the process of moving and setting up their businesses in Jersey. I To find out more, please visit www.locatejersey.com info - may / june - 75

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Getting acquainted with the ‘King of wines’ An array of the renowned wines of Saint-Emilion was presented by tradtionally attired Jurats for this special wine master class, held in The Wine Shop of Harrods

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smell and taste – in judging each wine. She advised against listening lest neighbours’ opinions unduly influenced your own judgement but there was some good-spirited conferring amongst the 75 participants – and not much use was made of the spittoons! The wines were surprisingly different in aroma and taste, considering their common year of vintage and terroir, ranging from hints of chocolate and liquorice in the Château de Pressac Saint-Emilion Grand Cru to notes of mineral and mint in the Château Belair-Monange SaintEmilion Grand Cru Classé, both of which were firm favourites. In the course of the tastings, Florence was joined by Jurat Philippe Chandon-Moët, representing Château de Ferrand, who accompanied tasters on their heady journey of discovery.

Exhorting what has been called the ‘King of Wines’ at the conclusion was Tim Hartley, Chancellor of La Jurade de Saint-Emilion, whose unexpected English accent revealed that Saint-Emilion has chancellories in Great Britain too – in the ancient cities of London and York – as well as in Belgium and the United States.

The master class and tasting was followed by a buzzing networking session, during which 12 more Saint-Emilion wines were produced for tasting alongside delectable canapés provided by Harrods Food Hall. By the time guests were ushered out through the deserted halls of the world-famous department store most concurred with Louis XIV’s proclamation that Saint-Emilion wines were the ‘nectar of the gods’. I

Florence de la Filolie and Philippe Chandon-Moët presenting the wines 76 - info - may / june

© José Farinho

© José Farinho

he English amongst those attending the wine master class held at The Wine Shop at Harrods must have felt a tinge of regret to discover that Saint-Emilion was once part of the English Kingdom, albeit over 700 years ago. In attendance were 12 Jurats, resplendent in their red medieval-style robes and caps. These modern day ambassadors of the Saint-Emilion appellation trace their roots back to a royal charter issued in 1199

by King John, son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, which granted administrative control of all economic, political and legal affairs of the city, including the quality of the wine, to the officers of the Jurade. In exchange, England was granted ‘privilège des Vins de Saint-Emilion’, which gave English merchants priority buying rights for Saint-Emilion wines. How times have changed!

Saint-Emilion’s unique history, architecture and landscape, devoted almost entirely to wine-growing, have given it UNESCO World Heritage status, but it is equally renowned for its exceptional wines, all red, produced by over 800 small family estates, each no more than 20 acres apiece. Saint-Emilion wines are blended from Merlot, the predominant grape grown in the area, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, and it was six of the 2008 vintage that were lined up for tasting on the night.

Jurat Florence de la Filolie, representing Château Laniote, led the tasting session, showing people how to hold the glass, swirl and engage the senses – sight,

The Jurats of Saint-Emilion in their robes

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Connections and discoveries As popular as ever, the annual Member to Member Cocktail and Exhibition drew more than 250 people together for an evening of networking and discovery around 23 exhibition booths

Making connections

The 2013 exhibitors Aerospace, Defence, Security: Safran Morpho Aviation: Air France KLM Automobile: Citroën Business Location: Locate Jersey Chartered Accountants: Bourner Bullock Construction: Artelia UK Employment: CEI/ Centre Charles Péguy; CCFGB Recruitment Service Energy and Environment: Faséo Energy; Valpak Food: Paul UK Hospitality: The Connaught; The May Fair Hotel; Pullman London St Pancras; TheWesley Language and Culture: Institut Français Law: Miller Rosenfalck LLP Medical Insurance: Passport2Health Printing: Service Point UK, incorporating Chris Fowler International Removals: MIC Moving Company Technology: Butler Safe Technologies; Philips PicoPix (Sagemcom) Wine: Wine Story Ltd all staff members of companies and are valid for the whole year. The booklet will be distributed to member companies and is also available to read online.

Numerous attendees commented on how much they had enjoyed the event, and how useful it had been in terms of making connections and links. That, after all, is the Chamber’s raison d’être!I

© José Farinho

© José Farinho

t was the 14th consecutive year that the M2M Cocktail and Exhibition had taken place and Chamber members’ enthusiasm for the event had evidently not dimmed, with over 250 participants gathering at the Royal Garden Hotel to browse the 23 exhibition stalls and network with fellow members.

On arrival, members were handed personal PowerVote remote controls, which they used to answer questions in the quiz that was presented by Peter Alfandary, Deputy President of the Chamber. The interactive ingenuity of PowerVote’s software drew murmurs of appreciation as the 12 winners, who had answered the most correct questions, were identified by name within seconds and came up to receive a superb array of prizes ranging from a luxury hamper of goods from Jersey to a PPX2480 Multimedia Projector offered by Sagemcom UK, and from a weekend for two at the Pullman London St Pancras to two return London-Amsterdam flights courtesy of Air France.

As usual there was a diverse array of exhibitors showing off their products, services and in some cases edible wares, and representing a range of industries and sectors, giving Chamber members a relaxed setting in which to discover what some of their fellow members do, and explore potential business opportunities.

The brand new Member to Member Offers booklet was also distributed at the event. As Peter Alfandary pointed out, it contains some amazing discounted rates and services from 95 companies, and he challenged members to make the most of them, declaring he would buy a case of Champagne for any member who did so. Many of the offers are open to

Tasty wares to try

© José Farinho

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The wine casino

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Logistical and operational challenges Continuing in its informal workshop style, the latest session of the SME & Entrepreneurs Club was an informative exchange of issues and ideas relating to the running of small business

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he biggest problem you have as an SME is that it’s just you,’ began David Franks, Managing Director of GLACIA, facilitator of the workshop on logistical and operational challenges. ‘You’ve got nobody to talk to, nobody to confer with, nobody to share resources with.

You’re financially constrained, so how do you grow your business?’ David then set out, with anecdotes from his own experiences, some of the main challenges faced by small businesses, which were corroborated by members who shared their own experiences and insights. In the

course of discussion numerous responses and solutions were proposed.

The concept that gained the most traction was that of having a board, as many SMEs had not considered this before but liked the idea. Questions were raised about how to identify people to approach, how to organise boards for SMEs, how to understand the various roles and positions, and how to manage a potential pool of candidates. Various ideas were broached and discussed with a view to returning to a more in-depth exploration of this concept. I KF

CHALLENGE

RESPONSE

1. Being alone

Engage with people; Learn new skills: educate yourself in management structure, balance sheets, cash flow, etc.; Set yourself budgets, targets and costs

2. Lack of specialist knowledge

3. Lack of leverage

Tap into experts in different fields; Outsource, e.g. get an accountant, advisor; Source available grants and funding for consultancy services (e.g.

Manufacturing Advisory Services) Join Chambers of Commerce to develop networks, share best practice and gain resources (often initially free) to draw on; Develop infrastructure to support growth

4. Getting embroiled in day-to- Periodically step back and take stock of your business, where it is going and what you want to achieve; Take time to recharge and reflect; Look for a day activities mentor (older entrepreneurs like to give back) 5. Outgrowing your resources 6. To hire or not to hire?

7. Succeeding in the UK

Look for the right partner at every stage of your development; Set up a board for mentoring, expertise, challenging your decisions; sounding board Consider outsourcing; Always look at the downside/have an exit strategy; Develop your existing employees; Develop a network of people who work on assignment Hire an English person early on; Open your mind, don’t hang on to your mindset, ask yourself ‘why not?’ (you set your own boundaries); Question everything – don’t take anything at face value; Accept that failure is growth

The Club at the Pub, the new rendez-vous for dynamic entrepreneurs!

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he SME & Entrepreneurs Club is unique at the Chamber as it is aimed at ambitious small to midsized entrepreneurial member companies looking to grow and willing to learn and to share best practice.

The Club’s mission is also to offer opportunities for its members to meet, network and foster exchange and cooperation among the Club’s members. In addition to our interactive and engaging morning workshops 78 - info - may / june

and focusing on a particular issue, the Club has now launched, at the suggestion of the members, a new rendez-vous: ‘The Club at The Pub’.

The first of this series of relaxed after-work gatherings took place on 19 March, when a lively group of entrepreneurs and SME leaders met at Baranis, a member of the Chamber, for some sociable networking over a few beers and glasses of wine. I KM

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Corporate volunteering An increasing number of companies are seeking ways other than cash donations to give back to the communities in which their businesses operate. Michelle Dawson, Director of Community Operations at the East London Business Alliance (ELBA) put forward the case for corporate volunteering programmes and Stéphanie Pullès, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Bouygues UK presented some of the projects it has been involved in

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cting as a bridge between businesses and communities, ELBA has been linking businesses with local projects in the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham and Hackney for 20 years. It started when a group of businessmen toured East London and, shocked by the levels of deprivation and poverty they saw in the areas overlooked by the wealth-generating high-rises of Canary Wharf, decided to become involved in local issues. Instead of pouring money in, they looked at how the skills, expertise and time of their employees could be unlocked for these communities.

Over time, the traditional approach of getting active in the community by ‘doing something’ such as painting, gardening or regenerating, has moved on to passing on skills, training and support.

One of the key areas is Education: corporates are getting involved in projects from primary school to university, encompassing issues such as careers advice, employability skills and aspirations. Another focus is Employment – securing jobs for local unemployed people – and Enterprise, which supports local SMEs by creating opportunities in the supply chain and helping to build capacity. Sitting between these is Community

Development, covering a range of interventions and programmes, some hand-in-hand with local organisations, from, for example, practical work on and in buildings to support with business plans, marketing strategies and IT skills. Volunteering programmes can be tailor-made for individual companies, matching their areas of expertise with needs in the community.

However, corporate volunteering is not all a oneway street. Employees have the chance to develop and apply their skills in a completely different context, demonstrate leadership and gain affirmation from making an impact quite quickly; it also facilitates bonding and team-building between senior and junior employees, as well as collaboration between clients and suppliers. From a business perspective there is the undeniable benefit of brand visibility, companies also gain insights into local communities, and such demonstrable corporate and social responsibility could be a factor in winning a tender, or gaining business in a particular area. Above all, at a time when budgets are strained, corporate volunteering is a cost-effective way of having a palpable impact by investing time and expertise rather than cash. I KF

Bouygues UK: raising aspirations As a subsidiary of one of the world’s leading construction and industrial groups, does not only Bouygues UK deliver great buildings to its clients but also wishes to build durable and successful synergies with local communities. To ‘raise aspirations’, the company has developed an extensive and well-integrated corporate volunteering programme aiming to position the organisation, and its employees, as engaged and proactive members of the communities in which they operate. Beyond constant dialogue with a series of key stakeholders, Bouygues UK offers to its employees concrete opportunities to contribute and get involved with the local community through initiatives such as local school projects, which help to further develop students’ employability skills and career aspirations or a mobile classroom for young people to raise awareness about the construction industry.

In 2012, an internal online platform, with great in-built social media features, was launched to promote these volunteering activities allowing staff to get more info about local initiatives and raising awareness about projects led by fellow employees. In addition to providing support to local communities, the benefits are substantial for the employees in terms of skills, morale and team spirit. As demonstrated by the inspiring series of policies and actions led by Bouygues UK , these programmes also benefit the company not only by leveraging employees’ skills and expertise, but also by developing a positive corporate culture. I KM info - may / june - 79

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Export trade with emerging markets: risks and trends Ray Moore, Director of Global Trade and Receivables Finance at HSBC gave a presentation on some of the risks and trends of export trade, which was complemented by a country risk overview by Coface’s Managing Director Frédéric Bourgeois and Chief Underwriting Officer Grant Williams

Risks and trends World trade volumes are expected to grow 86% over the next 15 years. UK exports to Asia (excluding Japan) are predicted to grow up to 10% in 2013-20. Africa is another growth market, with an abundance of natural resources but a need for infrastructure investment. And of course China’s economic growth and reform have been immense – for every seven years the US took to get where it is economically, China has done it in one.

More than 80% of world trade is now conducted on open account,* which has created a gap between exporters who want their money early and importers who want to pay late, this being a classical scenario. All international and inter-country trade entails a number of risks, some of which can be mitigated by the use of classical trade instruments such as Letters of Credit, Collections, Standby Letters of Credit Guarantees and insurance or supply chain finance. For example, a Letter of Credit from the importer’s bankers to the exporter’s bank can mitigate the importer’s bank credit and country risk. Because Letters of Credit deal in documents rather than goods, much of the political and economic uncertainty is taken out of the transaction, as well as the commercial and exchange control risk. However, currency risk and transportation risk need to be covered separately. Industry risk may seem a slightly dated concept, but the Japanese tsunami has shown how a natural disaster can create supply chain issues that reverberate around the global market. From that companies have learnt not to rely on a single source and have diversified their supply chain risk across several markets. But while you can mitigate risk, you can never totally eliminate it.

Country risk overview Emerging markets have shown resilient growth in recent years and this is supported by positive leading indicators. One way risk can be viewed is in terms of a country’s external vulnerability to changes in the overall environment. An interesting aspect is the openness of a country – how much is its GDP linked to trade? For some countries, for example Slovakia, Korea and Hungary,

exports represent almost 100% of their GDP, while other large markets, including China, do not rely on it so heavily.

Another source of risk is the amount of credit available in an economy. The leverage in a number of countries has risen strongly – Russia is 46%, while China is 129%, which raises questions. Risks related to credit booms are also growing, particularly in Asia, where countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and China have private sector credit to GDP ratios of over 100%. The last major risk is the question of debt. By and large, emerging sovereign states have no funding problems – they have large foreign reserves and low public debt in contrast to advanced economies, however in relative terms their reserves have not grown dramatically.

China is the one emerging market that cannot be overlooked with its significant dollar reserves, massive infrastructure spending and significant influence on the development of the Western world. The Renmimbi is set to become one of the most traded currencies.

Changes to its economic structure have seen a reduction in household consumption while private investment has risen sharply, which favours corporate credit risk.

Governance remains a major issue for emerging markets – the biggest challenges for an exporter are payment, right of recourse and trust, with the corruption factor being an area of concern in countries such as Russia, China, Indonesia or Egypt. In terms of country risk, Asia is generally in a good position for exporters, Emerging Europe is showing signs of slowdown in payment, although this is not hugely significant, Argentina and Russia have the highest levels of protectionism, Nigeria offers fantastic opportunities but transparency remains an issue, while the Middle East and North Africa are very challenging environments with a high risk of political instability.

The key is understanding the markets, how they operate and doing due diligence on your counterparties.

Identify who you are dealing with, understand the contract itself – how it is structured and what law governs it, credit insure it, get a risk assessment done, and make sure you can enforce a decision of the courts. I KF

* An open account transaction means that the goods are shipped and delivered before payment is due, usually in 30 to 90 days

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Building green Aleksandra Njagulj, Sustainability Manager at Bouygues UK, spoke to the forum about sustainable design and construction and its benefits for business. By way of summary INFO asked her a few questions about this complex topic What are the defining principles guiding the design, delivery and usage of a sustainable building?

Construction has major impacts on the environment.

Worldwide, the global built environment accounts for an average of 40% of the consumption of natural resources, energy consumption, CO2 emissions and waste generated. The construction industry also accounts for 28% of global employment. Social, environmental and economical impacts of construction are immense. What we do as an industry has a significant impact on global scale. A paradigm shift is needed, adopting a mindset of sustainable growth and development. Bouygues has set about to change the attitudes by the way we act.

Through our sustainable development strategy we aim to design, build and operate sustainable projects while taking into the account aspirations of our stakeholders, such as clients, partners, employees or society in general.

‘Actitudes’, values and actions form an integral part of our projects from design to operation, and concentrate on all three pillars of sustainability.

Francis Bouygues, in conjunction with architect Kevin Roche. Its complete renovation has an ambitious objective: enhancing the complex’s performance with respect to energy and the environment while upgrading the working environment of 3,200 employees. When the works are complete in 2014, Challenger’s energy consumption and carbon emissions will have been reduced by 90% and its water consumption by 60%.

What are the key challenges faced by the industry especially when it come to existing buildings?

UK is committed to reducing the carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. The new buildings performance is continually improving, inching ever closer to zero carbon. That is very good, however over 85% of the now existing building stock will still be there in 2050. Existing buildings are much harder to address, as various elements, such as building’s shape, orientation and to an extent materiality, are already determined. We have tested the limits of current technology and industry on our own headquarters, Challenger, which is undergoing a major refurbishment.

Opened in 1988, it was designed on the instructions of

What are the benefits of certification for Bouygues and its clients?

The building itself, including its design, construction and in use performance, is our “product”, so Bouygues strive to apply eco-design principles to reduce project’s environmental impacts, while guaranteeing user comfort and seeking to optimise the total cost. We draw on environmental certification schemes such as BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and Code for sustainable homes, using them as design tools, not bolt-ons in order to ensure sustainable balance is the focus from the very beginning of the design process, throughout the construction and achieved in use. During the construction phase, Bouygues seeks to limit the environmental impacts of its worksites and to ensure their integration into the local environment by reducing nuisance to local residents. Environmental standards for worksites common to all entities have been drawn up. The in-house Ecosite label is awarded to sites where they are applied. Quality of execution is another key aspect in guaranteeing a project’s performance. For the clients, certification is an objective confirmation that the building is truly sustainable. It is a label, telling them what are the contents and performance of the product, in comparison with others, like for like.

Challenger: Bouygues’ innovative and ground-breaking HQ

What is the business case for green design?

A very recent study by World Green Building Council has shown that building green makes business sense.

Sustainable property rents and sells better than “standard”, especially in the time of crisis. In this way, green real estate maintains its value and mitigates future risks for developers.

For the tenants or buyers, green label guarantees energy performance, water saving, and high level of comfort.

There is a growing market for sustainable buildings, as the general awareness of sustainability issues increases. I info - may / june - 81

f o rt h co m i n g f o ru m s & c lu b s

Luxury Club Breakfast on Art and Luxury

When: 14 May, 8:00 – 10.00am Where: The Royal Academy of Arts Chaired by Bertrand Michaud. With guest of honour Dr Charles Saumarez Smith CBE, Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Arts, and guest speaker Nigel Hurst, Chief Executive of the Saatchi Gallery By invitation only

Annual Lunch with the Chairs of the Forums & Clubs

Climate Change Forum

When: 28 May, 10.00am - 12.00pm Where: The French Chamber of Commerce Chaired by Richard Brown, Chairman, Eurostar International Ltd Theme: Resource scarcity By application only

Legal Forum

When: 16 May, 12.00 - 14.00pm Where: The Berkeley Hosted by the President of the French Chamber of Commerce, Arnaud Vaissié.

By invitation only

When: 4 June, 9.00 - 10.30am Where: The French Chamber of Commerce Co-chaired by Michael Butcher and Olivier Morel, Partner & Head of International Corporate Investment, Cripps Harries Hall LLP. By invitation only

HR Forum

SME & Entrepreneurs Club

When: 22 May, 8.30 - 10.00am Where: The French Chamber of Commerce Chaired by Rose Gledhill, HR Director, Northern Europe, International SOS Theme: HR 3.0: The impact of social media Open to HR directors and HR professionals only

Finance Forum

When: 23 May, 8.30 - 10.30am Where: The French Chamber of Commerce Co-chaired by Patrick Gougeon, UK Director ESCP Europe and John Peachey, Managing Director – CFO Global Markets, HSBC Bank Plc Theme: Growing economies and emerging markets (I) By application only

When: 19 June, 8.30 – 10.00am Where: The French Chamber of Commerce Co-chaired by Sebastien Delecour, Managing Director at Doublet UK Ltd and Frédéric Larquetoux, Senior Manager, Financial Accounting Advisory Services, Ernst & Young LLP Theme: Serial entrepreneurs & learning from failures Open to all SMEs and Entrepreneurs

The Club at the Pub dates

21 May, 6.30 – 8.30pm at Baranis, 115 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PP 25 June, 6.30 – 8.30pm at Baranis, as above 17 September, 6.30 – 8.30pm – location tbc 19 November, 6.30 – 8.30pm – location tbc

For more information, contact Karim Mijal on +44 (0) 207 0926638 or at kmijal@ccfgb.co.uk or visit www.ccfgb.co.uk for the Forums & Clubs annual calendar

f o rt h co m i n g e v e n t s

Quarterly Economic Update

When: 10 May, 8.15 - 10.00am Where: The French Institute Chaired by Philippe Chalon, Director of External Affairs at International SOS & Managing Director of the Cercle d’outre-Manche Guest Speaker: Paul Mortimer-Lee, Global Head of Market Economics, BNP Paribas Tickets: £25 + VAT Paul Mortimer-Lee is responsible for the global economic coverage of the BNP Paribas’ team of market economists who are located in the main financial centres. Paul is based in London and has worked for the bank since 1995. Amongst Paul’s recent main focuses have been the financial crisis, the US slowdown, global inflation and global imbalances.

Paul writes a regular article for the Nikkei newspaper and is a regular commentator on TV and in other media. Paul previously worked in the Bank of England and for a time at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC.

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f o rt h co m i n g e v e n t s

15 May

18.30 - 20.30

rendez-vous chez... THE East India Company At: The East India Company, 7 Conduit Street London W1S 2XF Dress code: business casual Open to all members

In partnership with:

Exchange with fellow members and build your business with our new networking event, the first of which takes place at the elegant East India Company store, where you can indulge in a champagne, tea cocktail and canapé reception while discovering some of their amazing products. You will also be able to take part in a Lucky Draw, benefit from a special discount on East India Company products and take a goody bag home Cost: £20+VAT per participant contact: Kim Darragon on kdarragon@ccfgb.co.uk or call 020 7092 6643

17 June

18.30 - 20.30

Summer Champagne Reception At: The Trafalgar Hotel, 2 Spring Gardens Trafalgar Square, London SW1A 2TS Dress code: business casual Open to all members

In partnership with:

This event will offer the great opportunity to sip Vranken Pommery champagnes whilst enjoying the magnificent terrace of the Trafalgar Hotel Cost: £40+VAT per participant or £60+VAT for 2 people contact: Kim Darragon on kdarragon@ccfgb.co.uk or call 020 7092 6643

4

July

Ambassador’s Brief At: The Residence of the French Ambassador, 11 Kensington Palace Gardens , London W8 4QP Dress code: business attire Open to Patron & Corporate members - free of charge

18.00 - 19.30

Following the G8 summit on 17 and 18 June, and the European Council on 27 and 28 June, Ambassador Bernard Emié will address Patron and Corporate Chamber Members Contact: Cécilia Gonzalez on cgonzalez@ccfgb.co.uk or call 020 7092 6641

8

July 18.30 - 21.00

CCFGB Annual General Meeting At: the Reed Smith offices, The Broadgate Tower, 20 Primrose Street, London EC2A 2EW Dress code: business attire All members are welcome - free of charge Giving you the opportunity to learn about the Chamber’s accomplishments in 2012 and to discover this year’s new projects and challenges: an instructive evening followed by a cocktail reception info - may / june - 83

f o r t h c o m i n g pat r o n e v e n t s

24 May

from 8.30am

VIP Morning at RA: ‘George Bellows (1882-1925): Modern American Life’ Open to: Patron members’ Main rep only and their spouse – free Breakfast from 8.00 to 8.30 am. Private guided tour from 8.30 to 9.30 am The Chamber is proud to have developed a fruitful partnership with the Royal Academy, allowing its Patron members to take part in VIP mornings all year round.

This will be the first retrospective of works by American realist painter George Bellows to be held in the UK. Bellows’ fascination with New York’s gritty urban landscape, its technological marvels and the diversity of its inhabitants, made him both an artist of the modern city and an insightful observer of the dynamic and challenging decades of the early 20th century

15 June

7.30 - 9.30pm

11 July

6.30 - 8.30pm

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI AND LES ARTS FLORISSANTS At: Barbican Hall Member run event – Sponsored by Alstom Open to: Patron members’ main rep only and their spouse – free Claudio Monteverdi’s madrigals have been described as a ‘theatre of the senses.’ In his Fifth Book, things changed: the introduction of basso continuo – instruments to provide bass lines and harmonies – liberated Monteverdi’s voices above. This new freedom gives wings to Monteverdi’s rapturous visions of beauty and attraction, the sort of intricate, nimble and urgent beauty that Paul Agnew routinely brings from specialist Baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants

An evening with Roland mouret At: Roland Mouret flagship store 8 Carlos Place Open to: Patron members’ main rep only and their spouse – free Well-known for dressing the famous Kate Winslet, Victoria Beckham and Dita Von Tees, Roland Mouret has, for over a decade, created the most coveted of women’s wear collections. The designer has defined the era of the iconic dress which have become known by a single name - Galaxy, Titanium, Moon - and have earned Mouret a reputation as magician, master of structure and silhouette and as a man with an intuitive understanding of the female form

For more information or to register contact Karim Mijal on +44 (0) 207 0926638 or at kmijal@ccfgb.co.uk

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Proud to power the EDF Energy London Eye with

Feel better energy To find out more about our low carbon nuclear generation visit www.edfenergy.com/energyfuture. Character under licence from BeatBots LLC. info - may / june - EDF Energy Customers plc. No. 02228297 England. Registered Offices: 40 Grosvenor Place, Victoria, London, SW1X 7EN, incorporated in England and Wales.

EDF Energy London Eye: Conceived and Designed by Mark Barfield Architects. Photographed by Nick Meek.

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